Japan first introduced its version of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in 2024, expecting it to be enforced at the end of this year.
The European Union’s DMA is a regulation that was created to ensure a fairer digital economy.
Japan’s Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has revealed the draft guides for a similar document, the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), which was first passed in June 2024.
Now, the country has shared the draft guidelines of the document, which is supposed to oversee smartphone software services of companies such as Google and Apple.
Similarly to DMA, Japan's MSCA would ensure fair competition for smaller companies.
JFTC shared the subordinate legislations and guidelines of MSCA publicly, with the act being “scheduled for full enforcement on December 18th, 2025.”
Besides the aim of driving a fairer competition, the law would also make sure that the companies don’t use data gathered from their app stores or operating systems to gain an advantage in further development.
The law would also prohibit Apple and Google from doing any additional screening, besides the required assessment, on companies that want to move from one app store to the other.
JFTC expects that these changes will aid consumers, making it cheaper and easier to get necessary applications.
When it comes to security or refraining from harmful content, Apple and Google can conduct more thorough app screening.
The law, first introduced in December of last year, didn’t include which companies would be subject to these changes. Now, it’s open for public review until June 13th, with guidelines expected to be finalized in July.
While the EU implemented DMA in 2022, discussions on how it shapes the tech market are still ongoing. For example, regarding DMA’s request for Apple to open its devices to App Store competitors, the company noted that it could pose a risk of piracy through sideloading, when users download apps that aren’t in the official app stores.
One such example is AltStore, which offers paid, tweaked, or jailbroken applications.
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