Tech giants Apple and Google, who have been embroiled in numerous antitrust battles in the United States, are now facing mounting pressure in Japan. As per a report by Nikkei Asia, Japan is gearing up to implement new regulations that could compel these two technology behemoths to permit third-party app stores on their mobile operating systems.

Nikkei Asia reports that Japanese lawmakers are drafting legislation aimed at curbing monopolies, which is set to be introduced to parliament in 2024. The proposed legislation specifically targets platform operators like Apple and Google, preventing them from restricting users to their proprietary ecosystems. This would extend to areas such as app stores and payments, search functions, browsers and operating systems. Non-compliance with these regulations could result in penalties enforced by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC).

In an October press release, the JFTC announced that it had initiated an investigation into Google following allegations of Antimonopoly Act violations. In a subsequent press release dated October 23, the JFTC requested information and feedback from third parties regarding the alleged infringement.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and a bipartisan group of 52 other attorneys general released a statement indicating that Google had agreed to a $700 million settlement in the week leading up to Christmas. This settlement was reached in response to a lawsuit brought against Google's allegedly anticompetitive conduct concerning its Google Play Store.

According to a Reuters article dated December 14, Mirage Wine & Spirits filed a lawsuit against Apple alleging that the company had entered into illegal agreements with Visa and Mastercard with the aim of stifling competition for point-of-sale payment card network services.