February 18, 2026
Japan Fair Trade Commission
Publication of Compliance Reports under the Mobile Software Competition Act, etc.
Today, I would like to talk about the publication of Compliance Reports submitted by designated providers under the Mobile Software Competition Act, commonly known as the Smartphone Act (the MSCA), which came into full effect on December 18 last year.
The MSCA 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, it seeks to create an environment in which smartphone users can choose from a wide variety of services, thereby enabling them to enjoy the resulting benefits.
Under the MSCA, business operators designated as “designated providers” and subject to the regulation under the MSCA are required to submit to the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) a report describing their compliance with the MSCA. On December 18 last year, the date on which the MSCA came into full effect, Compliance Reports were submitted by the designated providers, namely Apple Inc., iTunes K.K., and Google LLC. After excluding portions that constitute business secrets, the JFTC published these Compliance Reports on its website yesterday.
The Compliance Reports published on this occasion reflect the views of the designated providers and do not represent the views of the JFTC.
The JFTC will examine, in light of the contents of the Compliance Reports, the impact on business operators related to the four categories of software subject to the regulation under the MSCA—operating systems (OS), application stores, browsers, and search engines. The JFTC has already collected a wide range of opinions from relevant business operators and other stakeholders. In addition, with respect to the Compliance Reports published on this occasion, we will invite information and comments regarding their contents. We would appreciate receiving such information through the “Information Submission Form” available on the Japanese-language page of the JFTC’s website.
In addition, yesterday the JFTC published, together with the Compliance Reports, reference materials containing “Frequently Asked Questions” for application developers and other relevant developers on its website. These materials present, in an easy-to-understand Q&A format, questions that we frequently receive from application developers—such as what has newly become possible under the MSCA—and the corresponding answers. The JFTC intends to further expand and update these “Frequently Asked Questions” going forward, based on the opinions and inquiries we receive from stakeholders.
The JFTC will continue to operate the MSCA effectively, while maintaining close communication with Apple Inc. and Google LLC, taking into consideration the views and comments received from stakeholders regarding the Compliance Reports. At the same time, in order to enhance predictability for relevant business operators and promote understanding among smartphone users, the JFTC will proactively engage in public outreach activities.
（Tentative translation）
