December 17, 2025
Japan Fair Trade Commission
Starting with today’s regular press conference, we will hold our briefings in this new office building. Earlier this week, on Monday, part of the Fair Trade Commission and the Secretariat moved into the new premises. While it will take some more time for the entire Headquarters to complete the relocation, we appreciate your continued understanding and cooperation.
Today, I would like to talk about the Mobile Software Competition Act, commonly known as the Smartphone Act (the Act), which will enter into full enforcement tomorrow, December 18.
The Act aims to develop a competitive environment that promotes innovation by a diverse range of market participants through competition, while ensuring security and protecting privacy. By doing so, the Act seeks to create a situation which enables smartphone users to choose from a wide variety of services, and allows the public at large to enjoy the resulting benefit.
This Act was enacted by the Diet in June last year. Since then, in preparation for its full enforcement, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has been making the necessary arrangements to ensure its effective implementation, including the formulation of the Cabinet Order, Fair Trade Commission Rules, and Guidelines. The Act will enter into full enforcement tomorrow, and the JFTC will ensure that the Act is implemented smoothly and appropriately.
Next, I would like to introduce the initiatives being undertaken to support its implementation. In particular, I will highlight three key initiatives: first, the establishment of a reporting form on the Act; second, the release of explanatory videos on the Act; and third, the upcoming 2nd Global Forum on Digital Competition, which will be held in January next year.
Reporting Form on the Mobile Software Competition Act
First, regarding the establishment of the reporting form on the Act, the JFTC will launch a reporting form on its website tomorrow, December 18, to collect and understand information concerning facts that may constitute violations of the Act. With respect to information on suspected violations of the Act, the JFTC welcomes submissions not only from businesses, such as application developers, but also broadly from members of the general public, including consumers.
Explanatory Videos on the Mobile Software Competition Act
Second, the JFTC has also made continuous efforts to widely inform the public about the key points of the Act through the release of explanatory videos and other materials. These efforts include daily countdown posts explaining the Act’s main features beginning 100 days before its full enforcement, published on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, as well as the use of online advertising.
On December 1, ahead of the Act’s full enforcement later that month, the JFTC launched explanatory videos on the Act, as well as a dedicated webpage (in Japanese only) on its website providing information on the “choice screen,” which appears on smartphones used by the public.
For further details on each of these initiatives, please refer to the page on the Act on our website. Going forward, through proactive public outreach, the JFTC will continue to provide clear and accessible information, with the aim of helping the public become more familiar with the Act and deepening understanding of the Act among as many people as possible.
The 2nd Global Forum on Digital Competition
Third, the JFTC will hold the 2nd Global Forum on Digital Competition on January 30 next year. This forum aims to strengthen international cooperation with competition authorities in other jurisdictions and to enable Japan to take the lead in discussions on future regulation of digital markets. The first forum was held in January this year.
From the perspective of promoting awareness and understanding among relevant stakeholders, the forum will be open to a wide range of participants, including officials from overseas authorities, academics, and practitioners, as well as relevant businesses and industry associations. A broad and diverse range of discussions will be held in an open and public setting.
As for the specific topics to be discussed, in addition to international cooperation among authorities, the forum is expected to include discussions on how startups can grow within the platform-based economy, involving both so-called Big Tech companies and startups.
Registration for the forum opened today on the JFTC’s website. Anyone who is interested is welcome to participate. Approximately 180 participants will be able to attend in person at the venue, and online participation will also be available. Simultaneous interpretation in Japanese and English will be provided for both in-person and online participants.
Details on how to register for the forum and information on the speakers are available on the “Global Forum” page within the “Mobile Software Competition Act” section of the JFTC’s website, which I mentioned earlier. While some speakers are still being finalized, the information will be updated on an ongoing basis. We encourage all those interested to register and participate.
In addition, on the day prior to the forum, staff from competition authorities in various jurisdictions will engage in candid exchanges of views and information on recent activities and future challenges.
In this way, the JFTC has made careful preparations for the full enforcement of the Act, including efforts to collect information, conduct public outreach and awareness-raising activities, and strengthen cooperation with overseas authorities. Following the Act’s full enforcement tomorrow, the JFTC will make full use of these initiatives to ensure the smooth and appropriate implementation of the Act, so that the public at large can broadly benefit from it.
(Tentative translation)
