Japan’s Mobile Software Competition Act will require Apple to allow non-WebKit web browsers in the iOS App Store later this year. The law “forbids designated providers from preventing individual app providers from using alternative browser engines.” The regulation will take full effect in December.
Apple has always forced popular web browsers, such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and others to use WebKit as their web engine on both iOS and iPadOS. WebKit is the browser engine that powers Apple’s own browser, Safari. Apple has long said that the requirement is to protect the security and privacy of iPhone and iPad users. However, critics have said Apple’s browser policy is anticompetitive.
Japan’s new law will allow browsers, both standalone and in-app, to use alternative browsers, including Blink (used by Chrome, Edge, and Opera) and Gecko (used by Firefox).
While Apple still restricts the use of other browser engines on the iPhone and iPad in most countries, it already allows non-WebKit browser in the European Union, in compliances with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. However, due to Apple’s list of requirements for alternative browsers on its mobile devices, there are not any major non-WebKit browsers available in the App Store as yet. The UK will also require Apple to allow non-WebKit browsers on the iPhone in the foreseeable future.
Japan’s law prevents Apple from imposing “unreasonable technical restrictions” on web browsers that wish to use alternative browser engines on the iPhone.
The new law will also require Apple to display a default browser selection screen in Safari on the iPhone, with similarly strict requirements.
(Via MacRumors)