Other countries also appear to be investigating Apple for antitrust and monopolistic practices after the European Commission forced the company to open up iOS to third-party app stores in the EU. Just recently, news broke that Japan is considering significantly increasing fines for large companies that engage in monopolistic behavior.
Current Japanese law imposes a fine of 6% of sales, but policymakers are considering raising this to 20%. Failure to comply with the law in the future will result in a fine of 30% of sales.
Japan hinted at changes in December 2023, even warning Apple that it had bigger plans to revise regulations against anti-competitive behavior. Japan’s main issue concerns Apple’s App Store.
Like the EU, Japan is likely to force Apple to open its platform to third-party app stores and alternative payment systems. Currently, all subscriptions and paid apps require payment through Apple’s proprietary payment system, which incurs his $100 fee. Up to 30%.
If other countries around the world follow suit, Apple may be forced to open up its walled garden a bit, as maintaining different versions for each market will be very difficult. .
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