Particle.news
Download on the App Store
7 ARTICLES
·
3w ago

Japan Mandates Apple Open iPhone to Third-Party Browsers by Year-End

The guidelines ban Apple from blocking non-WebKit engines; require equal API performance; mandate default browser choice screens ahead of December enforcement.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • Japan’s MSCA guidelines published early August prohibit Apple from imposing technical or financial barriers on third-party browser engines in iOS.
  • The rules demand that alternative browsers receive functionally equivalent access to Apple’s operating system APIs, mirroring EU Digital Markets Act requirements.
  • Smartphone users must be presented with a default browser selection screen immediately after first activating their device.
  • The Mobile Software Competition Act takes effect in December 2025, marking the start of formal enforcement against designated providers.
  • Despite Apple’s technical support for non-WebKit browsers in the EU since iOS 17.4, no major alternative browsers have launched and regulators anticipate a prolonged compliance process.