Apple Store in Japan
Japanese parliament debates proposed legislation that would effectively mimic EU digital markets Take action and demand Apple open up App Store.
The new bill, originally proposed in 2023, is now officially being considered by parliament. According to The Japan Times, the bill is expected to be passed by both houses of the country's parliament.
If passed, the bill is expected to promote competition and lower app prices. The Japanese government reportedly believes that Apple and Google are a duopoly and that they charge high fees to developers, which are then passed on to users.
However, previous reports have stated that if the bill becomes law, it will be up to the Japanese government to decide which companies it applies to. While the company specifically states that Apple and Google must comply, it is not expected to add any Japanese firms to the list.
What happens next
The current session of the Japanese Diet is scheduled to end on June 23, 2024. If the bill passed by both the country's House of Representatives and the House of Councilors, it will become law.
Unlike many countries, including the United States, a bill must be passed by only two chambers. In this case, the law does not have to be signed by the president, the monarch, or, in the case of Japan, the emperor.
However, legislation based on this bill is not expected to come into force until 2025.
The bill is based on a competition assessment of the mobile ecosystem conducted by the Digital Market Competition Council of the Japanese Diet (the collective name for both houses of Diet). While Apple has not commented on the current debate in Japan's parliament, it has previously defended itself against antitrust charges in this assessment.
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