Another country, another continuation of the ongoing antitrust battle between Epic Games and Apple over third-party app stores.
While Apple has enabled support for third-party app stores within another country, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney isn’t happy with the arrangements …
Apple yesterday announced sweeping changes in Japan to comply with antitrust legislation there. This includes support for third-party app stores in a similar but more limited manner to that offered within the EU.
To comply with the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), Apple has announced a set of major changes to the App Store and iPhone in Japan. The changes include new app distribution options for developers and new alternative payment rules for the App Store.
The most notable difference in Japan is that Apple does not have to permit iPhone app downloads from the web, only through alternative app stores.
The iPhone maker clearly wasn’t happy about being required to make the changes, giving its usual arguments about privacy and security risks.
The MSCA’s requirements for alternative app marketplaces and app payments open new avenues for malware, fraud and scams, and privacy and security risks.
Sweeney also isn’t happy, accusing the company of imposing junk fees designed to prevent competition with the official App Store, and saying that Fortnite cannot return to Japan on these terms.
Sadly, Fortnite will not return to iOS in Japan in 2025 as promised. Apple was required to open up iOS to competing stores today, and instead of doing so honestly, they have launched another travesty of obstruction and lawbreaking in gross disrespect to the government and people of Japan […]
They’re charging a competition-crushing 21% junk fee on third-party in-app payments, and 15% for purchases made on the web [and] introducing new anticompetitive warning screens meant to mislead customers into believing their privacy and financial security are at risk when dealing with Apple competitors.
He says these terms prevent real competition between app stores, and says Epic will be raising a formal complaint with the Japanese Fair Trade Commission.
Sweeney may have precedent on his side, albeit from another country. In the US, where Apple allowed developers to link out to third-party payment mechanisms but still imposed high commissions on sales made outside the App Store, the judge accused the company of failing to follow the clear intent of her ruling. That battle is still underway.
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