The Japantimes reports that "The two companies dominating the smartphone operating system market will be obliged to allow their users to download apps by using services other than their own app stores. The government hopes that the move will spur competition and lead to app price drops [added spyware and malware].
The smartphone OS market is occupied almost entirely by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. The companies control how apps are installed and paid for on their iPhones and Android devices.
The government will create a list of what OS providers must not do in order to stop them favoring their own services and payment platforms.
The regulations were drawn up at the government’s headquarters for digital market competition, headed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno. The government aims to submit relevant legislation to the next year’s ordinary session of parliament.
Apple makes it impossible for iPhone users to download apps without using its App Store. Of Android users, 97% download apps through the Google Play store, although Google does not require them to do so.
The two companies also ban third-party app providers from accepting payments from app users through any payment platform other than Apple’s or Google’s.
The regulations will oblige Apple and Google to allow users to download from app stores other than theirs if enough security and privacy protection measures are taken for the stores."
The questions are many. Who will ensure this security they refer to? And, will Apple be allowed to force these outside apps to pass Apple's own security prior to reaching a user's iPhone? There are many more issues that will have to ironed out first before any such law can be implemented.
The Japanese report further noted that "The government also thinks it problematic that Apple’s or Google’s apps are installed on iPhones and Android smartphones in initial settings.
The two companies will be obliged to allow users to delete the apps easily and required not to give preferential treatment to their own services in their search engines."