Japan: Opened consultation on Cabinet order on scale of businesses under Act on Promoting Competition Regarding Specific Software Used in Smartphones

On 28 October 2024, the Japan Fair Trade Commission opened the public consultation on the Cabinet order determining the scale of business under the Act on Promoting Competition Regarding Specific Software Used in Smartphones until 26 November 2024. The order applies to providers of specific software used on smartphones. The order provides that specific software in Japan must have an average monthly user base of at least 40 million for basic operating software, application stores, browsers and search engines. This requirement applies to users engaging with the software at least once a month during the fiscal year. The consultation seeks inputs from stakeholders on the obligations imposed on software providers under the order, including the requirement to notify the Commission about their business scale and changes therein.