September 10, 2025
Japan Fair Trade Commission
100-Day Countdown Posts toward the Full Enforcement of the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software
Today, I would like to talk about the 100-day countdown posts toward the full enforcement of the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software, commonly known as the Mobile Software Competition Act (the Act).
The Act was enacted by the Diet in June last year and will enter into full enforcement on December 18 this year. With its full enforcement, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) will ensure both fair and free competition in the relevant markets and utility, security, and safety of smartphone users, focusing on four categories of specified software that are essential for smartphone use: operating systems (OS), app stores, browsers, and search engines.
As a result, we expect that the Act will stimulate business innovation, leading to the emergence of convenient functions and new services that did not exist before, thereby expanding choices for the public. To widely and clearly raise public awareness of the content of the Act, which is expected to bring about such changes, we are using X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook to share posts as part of the 100-day countdown.
Toward the full enforcement date of December 18, we launched the 100-day countdown yesterday. Today marks 99 days until full enforcement.
As for the content of the posts, it will cover the purpose of the Act, the specified software under the regulation of the Act, the nine prohibited conducts and five obligations imposed on the designated providers subject to the Act, as well as the Cabinet Order, Rules, and Guidelines. We aim to explain these matters in plain language so that the public can easily understand them.
For those who wish to view the posts in a consolidated form rather than on a daily basis, the JFTC will also compile every 20 posts and publish them on its website. Please visit the section “Approaches in the Digital Market” on the JFTC website.
The JFTC will continue to actively use social media and other tools to promote public awareness of the Act. By doing so, we hope to make the Act more familiar to the public and to help as many people as possible gain a deeper understanding of it. We remain committed to providing clear and accessible information.
（Tentative translation）
