
Japan enacts law forcing Google and Apple to allow third-party app stores and more
Japan has enacted The Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software, targeting increased competition in the smartphone market. Similar to what happened in the EU thanks to the DMA, this new law mandates that Apple and Google must allow third-party app stores on their devices and permit developers to use alternative billing services, aside from the already known Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It also requires that users be able to change default settings easily and be presented with choice screens for tools like browsers.
Additionally, the legislation prohibits Apple and Google from giving preferential treatment to their own services in search results without a justifiable reason and from using data about competing applications for their own advantage. Developers must be granted access to OS-controlled features with the same performance level as Apple and Google services. The Japanese government has pointed out that current anti-monopoly laws are insufficient to regulate a market dominated by these two tech giants.
Non-compliance with this new law could result in fines of up to 20 percent of the relevant turnover for Apple and Google.




Apple doesn't force anyone to buy their products. I don't buy them precisely because of their walled garden philosophy.
Why on earth are governments, like the Japanese one, interfering with this? Every Apple consumer knows what they're getting. If they don't like Apple or Google just purchase a different device.
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