The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) aims to launch the new unit as early as April next year, comprising about 50 staff members. This represents a significant expansion from the current team of 14 officials tasked with overseeing tech giants.
The regulatory body will seek a budget of about 17.4 billion yen ($120 million) for the fiscal year 2025 to support this initiative, marking a 43 percent increase from the initial 2024 budget. The unit will be led by a director general-level official and will enhance collaboration with international counterparts to scrutinize companies such as Google LLC and Apple Inc, which control the Android and iOS mobile operating systems respectively.
This organizational restructuring aligns with a recently enacted Japanese law, set to take effect by late 2025, designed to prevent tech giants from restricting third-party companies in-app sales and operations.
The move mirrors similar regulatory efforts globally, with the European Union implementing comparable regulations in March, overseen by about 100 personnel. The United Kingdom is also preparing to introduce legislation targeting IT conglomerates, with plans to assign around 200 people to supervisory roles.
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