Japan: Investigation into Apple regarding anti-competitive App Store Guidelines closed

On 2 September 2021, after an investigation period that began in October 2016, the Japanese Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) closed its investigation into Apple for anti-competitive App Store practices, since it received several assurances on changes being implemented by Apple regarding its App Store practices. Before, Apple's mobile operating system only let users sign into their accounts, not allowing them to set up new accounts or manage existing ones, e.g. making new subscriptions, within the app - the users had to go to the website of the app developer. The JFTC categorized this as anticompetitive behaviour. With the upcoming change, developers of "reader" apps, such as magazines, books, and music, among others, are permitted to provide an in-app link to enable users to manage or set up their accounts using non-App Store payment methods. This includes applications such as Spotify, Netflix and Kindle. The change will be implemented globally from 2022 onwards.