Today, the Japan Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA) goes into effect for companies that have been designated. This blog explains how Google intends to comply and some changes you may see in our products.
The most important changes for consumers and businesses using Google products in Japan
- Selection screens: Switching search engines or browsers is something you can already easily do on Android and Chrome. During MSCA, we display selection screens that ask you to select a search engine and browser. You’ll start seeing these on Android phones in Japan as well as in the Chrome app on iOS phones. Learn more here.
- Alternative invoicing in the app: Developers in Japan with non-gaming apps have been able to sign up for our User Choice Billing program since 2022. This program allows developers to offer an alternative billing system alongside Google Play’s billing system for in-app digital content purchases. To comply with the MSCA, we are expanding the scope of this program to all apps that offer in-app digital content purchases to Japanese users. Learn more here.
- Purchase of digital content outside of Google Play: Android is an open and vibrant platform that has brought new opportunities to Japanese developers. A key challenge for us is to maintain these opportunities and ensure continued growth without introducing security risks and concerns. Based on that context, we are launching a new program that improves developer choice and flexibility in Google Play. This program allows developers to offer a side-by-side choice between making a purchase using Google Play Billing or completing the purchase on the developer’s website. The program has a competitive fee and is subject to important user safety and security requirements. To participate, developers can begin the onboarding process now and will soon have access to APIs to fully implement the program. Learn more here.
Delivering innovation and expanding user choice
Our products are always developed with helpfulness and choice in mind. This means that Google already complies with many of the MSCA’s requirements. For example:
- You can already install third-party app stores on Android devices and easily swap default settings on Android and Chrome.
- Android’s open model also allows you to mix and match devices and apps from different brands and developers to work seamlessly with your smartphone.
- We ensure that Search prioritizes providing you with useful, relevant and reliable information.
- We allow app developers to use alternative browser engines and authentication services in their apps.
- For over a decade, Google Takeout has allowed you to download or transfer a copy of your data from more than 80 Google products. We will continue to invest in tools that give users control.
Safe Innovation Protection in Japan
For the past 18 months, we have been working constructively with the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) and we appreciate the cooperation with the JFTC on our compliance solutions. We are grateful for the JFTC’s commitment to this process and close partnership on the changes we are making.
During our discussions, we shared how some regulations in other countries have led to difficult trade-offs that have negatively impacted users and businesses. The MSCA includes important safeguards that can help reduce these concerns. It allows for “justifiable reasons” to protect crucial interests such as cybersecurity, privacy and user security. This helps minimize the risk of useful features not being inadvertently lost due to compliance with new regulations.
Our ability to maintain the safety and security of our ecosystem is paramount; a recent survey of Japanese developers found that 79% are concerned about the security risks associated with distributing in-app digital content through channels outside of major app stores. These findings underscore the importance of getting the implementation details right and the need for constructive legislative engagement and careful enforcement to avoid any unintended consequences as these new rules are rolled out.
We will continue to work with the Japan Fair Trade Commission and the industry to ensure that we continue to offer products and services that are useful and safe for everyone in Japan.