Japan: Big Tech faces new legislation in antitrust push

Japan will require major information technology players to report their business practices involving online vendors and app developers under proposed legislation, moving to crack down on unfair rules imposed by Amazon and other tech giants.

The legislative plan aims to create a mechanism to monitor practices by large tech companies operating in Japan, reported Nikkei. In addition to revealing contract terms, they will be required to notify suppliers of changes in contract in advance. Based on regular reports from tech companies, the government will also seek feedback from suppliers to assess their practices. 

There are nearly 1 million companies that sell items on Japanese online shopping malls, a market estimated to be worth 9 trillion yen (US$82 billion). App stores, which handle programs by more than 700,000 developers, generate 1.7 trillion yen (US$15.5 billion) in sales a year. Platform operators enjoy considerable bargaining power, as many vendors and developers depend on them to market their products.

The Japanese government has been reviewing rules set by the European Union, which is ahead in such regulations, in crafting its own legislation. The government hopes creating a fair playing field will help foster market growth.