Japan names Apple and Google under new smartphone software law, orders changes to app stores, browsers, and NFC

Japan on Wednesday designated Apple and Google as “specified providers” under its smartphone software competition law, triggering obligations on app stores, browsers, and near field communication access. The Japan Fair Trade Commission and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications published enforcement guidelines and timelines, stating that non compliance can draw fines of up to 20 percent of domestic revenue from the affected service.

The move matters because iPhones account for well over half of smartphones in use in Japan, and the country ranks among the top markets for app store consumer spending. Changes to default settings, billing, and device features in Japan affect global product roadmaps and revenue models.

What Japan is ordering

Regulators said Apple must allow third party app stores and alternative billing, and must provide fair access to NFC for payments and transit on iOS. Google must offer real choice screens for default search and browsers, and ensure fair treatment of third party app stores and billing on Android.

The guidance bars self preferencing in app store rankings and review processes, and restricts anti steering clauses that block developers from telling users about off store offers. It also covers data access and portability, including requirements for browsers and search to allow rivals fair integration points.

Industry groups in Tokyo said opening NFC matters for local wallets and transit cards that rely on FeliCa. PayPay, Rakuten Pay, and JR East’s Suica could gain more direct access on iPhones, which could reshape daily payments and commuting for tens of millions of users.

Why this matters beyond Japan

Apple and Google already face compliance work in the European Union and South Korea. Japan’s rules are different on NFC and transit, creating another jurisdiction with distinct obligations that large platforms must build for and audit.

For developers and payment providers, Japan becomes a priority test bed for alternative billing, distribution, and device feature access at national scale. As more governments adapt platform rules to local market structures, global tech firms face rising engineering and policy overhead, and local players gain new distribution channels that can shift traffic and fees across mobile ecosystems.