Japanese antitrust regulators are continuing to push for European App Store regulations and will force Apple to open Face ID,Touch IDand other biometric technologies. In May this year, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (FTC) reviewed proposals affecting large technology companies such as Apple and Google.open solicitationOpinion. On July 29, the regulator announced that it had refined the rules of the Mobile Software Competition Act, weeks after the comment period ended.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission announced that the law will take full effect on December 18, 2025. Until then, the Fair Trading Commission will work on preparations to enforce the law and conduct publicity to raise public awareness.
Japan Today found that these improvements strengthen and mainly focus on regulations that allow third-party app stores to operate in the country. This also includes forcing Apple to allow other payment platforms on iOS apps.
Apple is also prohibited from favoring its own apps or services in the App Store or allowing users to choose the default apps for their devices. This also extends to the category of "improper use of acquired data", which means that Apple and Google are not allowed to benefit from any collected user data that would not otherwise be provided to third-party developers.
Users must also be allowed to move freely between different apps, stores, and platforms.
In addition to handling how user data is used and the App Store, the rules cover factors that affect more aspects of the iPhone than just its software. Apple and Google must also provide access to operating system features, including the hardware controlled by those features.
This covers quite a few features, including speakers, microphones, position measurement capabilities and data communications capabilities. What's more, it also requires gaining access to the biometric authentication feature.
These rules essentially allow developers direct access to features like Face ID and Touch ID. It's unclear to what extent this access will be allowed, but it could give developers more control than they currently have.
According to Biometric Update, Apple opposes the law, insisting that it violates user privacy and security. The law also allegedly forces Apple to provide technology and services to potential competitors for free.