Japan law will require Apple to allow alternate iPhone app stores
The Japanese government is introducing laws that will require Apple to allow users nationwide to download apps outside their official app stores.
Japan is opening up the App Store to competition
The two tech giants face regulations from various countries to open their platforms and let users install apps from third-party sources. For example, Europe's Digital Markets Act will compel companies like Apple to provide options that allow third-party app stores on their platforms and alternative payment systems.
Japan is the next country to impose regulations on these companies, according to The Japan Times. It will require Apple and Google to let users download apps through services other than their app stores. The government aims to stimulate competition and believes it could reduce app prices.
The government will compile a list of prohibited actions for OS providers to prevent them from showing bias towards their services and payment platforms. The regulations were created at the government's digital market competition headquarters, led by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.
It intends to present the appropriate legislation during the upcoming ordinary session of parliament in 2024.
Japan is also concerned that Apple and Google apps come pre-installed on iPhones and Android smartphones by default. As a result, the two companies will be required to make it easy for users to remove these apps and can't give preferential treatment to their services within their search engines.
Apple doesn't have an official search engine like Google, but the government may be referring to Spotlight, a local search feature on Apple devices that lets users search for content on their devices and provide web search suggestions.
Rules from Apple and Google
It's not possible to install iOS apps from outside of the App Store due to Apple's rules. Meanwhile, although Google lets Android users install apps from third-party sources, 97% of people still use the Google Play Store.
However, each company also prevents third-party app providers from accepting user payments through any payment platform other than those provided by Apple or Google.
Apple CEO Tim Cook cites privacy and security as two reasons while Apple doesn't allow app downloads outside of the iOS App Store. However, Japan's regulations would require developers to implement some privacy and security safeguards for their app stores for users to download apps.
Furthermore, the two companies will be compelled to enable users to make payments through third-party platforms.
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Comments
Apple's business model is no longer compatible with the world. It's time for change.
Apple has been making tremendous investments into iOS and its other operating systems, and it's the App Store commission fees that pay for that. Once apps start getting distributed through alternative app stores, that revenue disappears.
Presently, iCloud offers a lot of value to developers, such as the ability to sync data across devices for a given app. If a developer chooses to distribute through an alternative app store, it's unreasonable for them to also have "free" access to the iCloud platform for their app. Who will pay for that if they aren't?
So now developers will implement their own solutions/servers to do what iCloud magically does for them, and along with that will come increased vulnerabilities and risks to users.
Exactly. This is what the decision-makers don't understand. Apple has built up a full-featured end-to-end platform that provides tremendous value to developers which they get for "free". Take away the revenue store (ie. App Store commissions) and everything changes.
iOS will need a way to know if an app came through the official App Store, or an alternative, and then allow/grant access to "cloud" features accordingly.
I believe it's possible for Apple to implement an elegant solution, and yes, it is good for competition, but the issue stands — Apple can't and won't give away their cloud services for free to developers.
I wonder why some ask what percentage 3rd party app stores need to pay to Apple – before these App Stores appeared hardware manufacturers were happy if developers brought software to their platforms.
The reason this changed is because there are less platforms nowadays (iOS and Android for mobile) so that the power shifted to few companies.
The only thing it's going to stimulate is more companies charging commissions. App prices on mobile are already at rock bottom relative to platforms like Mac/PC and video game consoles. It's a mystery as to why so many governments view the Mac/PC model as the ideal competitive system when it has the most lopsided OS distribution AND significantly higher prices for apps.
If you are an indie developer and want to release a version of an app on a non-Apple app-store then it will cost you $999 per binary upload.
If you are a company with a turnover exceeding £1billion then it will cost you £1million per binary.
and various company size price points inbetween.
Goodbye free apps.
They can't innovate themselves, so they have to impose draconian and ridiculous…oh wait.
Japan.
Huh.
sorry
Put it in the T&C next to the human centipede agreement. Done. Hands washed. Move on.
Whilst my view is that apple is largely a responsible company with a good moral compass, there are some people who feel they are not. They do wield extraordinary power, bu the nature of the number of their devices
oh, and I REALLY like the idea of apple making iPhones that can come with nothing installed. Then people can install their own OS and apple can’t be accused of ‘limiting the iPhone’ in any way. 😂 (can’t see any risks with this 😂).
The true cost coming up……