Japan could be next to force third-party app stores on Apple
The Japanese Parliament is debating a proposed law that would effectively emulate the EU's Digital Markets Act and require Apple to open up the App Store.
An Apple Store in Japan
Originally proposed in 2023, the new bill is now being officially deliberated by Parliament. According to The Japan Times, the bill is expected to be passed by both chambers of the country's Parliament.
If the bill passes into law, the intention is that it will facilitate competition and reduce app prices. Japan's government reportedly believes that Apple and Google are a duopoly, and that they charge developers high fees that are then passed on to users.
However, previous reports have claimed that should the bill pass into law, it will then be the Japanese government choice over which firms to apply it to. While it is certain to say Apple and Google must comply, it's not expected to add any Japanese firms to the list.
What happens next
The current Parliamentary session in Japan is due to conclude on June 23, 2024. If the bill does pass both the country's House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, then it becomes law.
Unlike many countries, including the US, the bill need only pass the two chambers. It does not then have to be signed into law by a President, monarch, or in Japan's case, an emperor.
Nonetheless, the law made from this bill is not expected to come into effect until some time during 2025.
The bill originates in a Competition Assessment of the Mobile Ecosystem done by the Digital Market Competition Council of Japan's Diet (the joint name for both chambers of Parliament). While Apple has not commented on the current debate in Japan's Parliament, it did previously defend itself against antitrust accusations in that assessment.
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Comments
"If we would not submit to an emperor, we should not submit to an autocrat of trade" - Sherman.
Reagan broke AT&T into pieces in 1982 after AT&T for years forced users to buy or rent devices at inflated prices in order to even use the network.
TicketMaster is the only outlet for Live Nation venues - same company. So... one monopoly in many regions create another monopoly.
The clean solution would be that platform vendors can't sell apps. Apple could offer free apps but all other apps would have to be bought from independent stores.
The opinionati on AppleInsider:
b) US DOJ investigates: Political activism!
c) Japan investigates: Revenge for "sliding down" in the tech industry
d) Korea investigates: Corrupt protectionism (also, as seen here: Revenge for "sliding down" in the tech industry — except Samsung is constantly one of the top 2 smartphone manufacturers globally)
I look forward to many more creative explanations that blame anything but Apple.
I had someone on here tell me that they're pissed because they'll be given a choice. Go figure.
a) EU investigates: Protectionism to cover the fact that they are technologically incompetent! Corruption! Europe is behind in tech across the board hardware and software wise, and they are hostile to tech startups. East Asia has an original operating system/major usable software and a AI software problem. Europe/Asia are hostile to very smart individuals standing out from the crowd with a new idea that goes against the grain and usually they historically end up coming to America execute their idea (like the Manhattan Project).
b) US DOJ investigates: Political activism! Compared to the US defense companies the tech companies don't play Lobby (play bribe ball). The US government doesn't like that. The USA government doesn't like Silicon Valley because most of the Tech companies in Silicon Valley generally minus a certain masquerading car company don't need a hand out to get stuff done.
c) Japan investigates: Revenge for "sliding down" in the tech industry. East Asia is behind the USA in building OS/hardware combinations (particularly ground up operating systems/online stores/major programs) Without Android/Windows they are lost.
d) Korea investigates: Corrupt protectionism (also, as seen here: Revenge for "sliding down" in the tech industry — except Samsung is constantly one of the top 2 smartphone manufacturers globally) Samsung is struggling in chip design today they no longer can spy on Apple directly, operating systems and most software design when combined with hardware they are lost most of what they do is second rate/half a__ when left to their own devices Apple had to beat them over the head to do anything right sorta like Intel back in the day. Samsung is about to loose the rest of the world outside Korea/USA to the Chinese smartphone makers. Why? OS software combined with hardware is beyond them they do nothing better (smartphones) than the Chinese companies.
The USA isn't without its own problems particularly anti-unionism, and the willingness to sell land to non citizens (all the English speaking currently countries share that cultural problem.
Beautiful!
Again, thanks for proving my point.
Ah, shame. You could have so easily mentioned the Second World War, here.
Partial credit for making the argument sound vaguely technical by implying something about vertical integration.
Again, thanks for proving my point.
This is the App Store Monopoly Investigation Thread.
The Hardware Engineering and Espionage Threads are thataway 👉
Relevance: ∩ = null set
Ah well. Sometimes you lose, and sometimes, you're the catcher standing out in left field shouting at some Asians in the bleachers.