JFTC designates Apple, iTunes K.K., and Google as Specified Software Operators (26 Mar 2025)
Analysis
By UA Ledger staff — 1 min read
On 26 March 2025 the Japan Fair Trade Commission designated Apple Inc., iTunes K.K., and Google LLC as Specified Software Operators under the Mobile Software Competition Act, naming the gatekeepers whose Japan store and payment rules UA finance models must track ahead of full enforcement.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission English press release Designation of Specified Software Operators under the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software, dated 31 March 2025, records designations made on 26 March 2025 under Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software (Act No. 58 of 2024). The page is a tentative English translation; the JFTC points readers to the Japanese original.
Who was designated
| Operator | Specified software named on the release |
|---|---|
| Apple Inc. | Basic operating software, application store, browser |
| iTunes K.K. (corporate number 8011101043359) | Application store |
| Google LLC (corporate number 3700150072195) | Basic operation software, application store, browser, search engine |
Designated operators are subject to prohibited conduct and compliance requirements under the Act and must submit an annual report on measures taken. The release states that provisions on prohibited conduct and compliance requirements were scheduled to be fully enforced from a Cabinet Order date no later than 18 December 2025.
What this page does not establish
| Field | Evidence or limit |
|---|---|
| Designation date | 2025-03-26 |
| Press-release date | 2025-03-31 |
| Named operators | Apple Inc., iTunes K.K., Google LLC |
| Exact Japan App Store or Play commission rates | Not on this page |
| Alternative-marketplace live status on designation day | Not on this page |
| UA implication | Treat these three entities as the Japan MSCA gatekeepers for store, OS, browser and (for Google) search duties; fee and steering detail came later in subordinate rules and platform notices |
This designation names who must comply. It is not, by itself, a fee schedule or a green light for web-shop creatives.
Research checked 20 September 2026. Local draft; human editorial review pending.
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