Japan moves closer to requiring third-party app stores

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The Japanese Fair Trade Commission is planning a raft of proposals that would emulate Europe’s App Store regulations regarding Big Tech firms such as Apple and Google.

An Apple Store in Japan

It may now be consulting with the public, but Japan’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) expects to begin enforcing its Big Tech regulations from December 18, 2025. The consultation comes after the plans were passed by Japan’s House of Representatives and House of Councillors in 2024.

The country’s FTC has issued what its announcement calls draft subordinate legislations. They are all part of Japan’s Mobile Software Competition Act, and a summary document shows that the new law says Apple and Google must:

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