After the European Commission forced Apple to open iOS to third-party app stores in the EU, other countries appear to be investigating Apple’s antitrust and monopolistic practices. There has been recent news that Japan is seeking to significantly increase fines for large companies that engage in monopolistic behavior.
Current Japanese law recommends a fine of 6% of sales, but policymakers want to increase this to 20%. Failure to comply with the law in the future will result in a fine of 30% of sales.
Japan signaled impending changes as early as December 2023, even warning Apple that it had bigger plans to revise its regulations against anti-competitive behavior. The main problem in Japan is Apple’s App Store.
Just like in the EU, Japan may force Apple to open its platform to third-party app stores and alternative payment systems, as as of now, all subscription and paid apps require payment through Apple’s own payment system, which involves formalities The fee is as high as 30%.
If the rest of the world follows suit, Apple may be forced to open up its walled garden a bit, as it will become very difficult to maintain different versions for each market.
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