Apple could soon allow alternative browser engines in Japan

Under a new Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), Apple will soon be required to permit alternative browser engines on iOS in Japan. The law, which comes into effect this December, will force Apple to allow alternative browsers to run on its device without having to use its propreitary WebKit engine. This is just like the changes the European Union is working to launch and is intended to limit what some see as Apple playing anti-competitive games.

Specifically, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) MSCA guidelines JFTX outline anti-competitive rules in relation to Apple’s current requirement that all browsers on iOS must use the WebKit web engine. For a long time, that has barred mainstream browsers, like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Microsoft Edge from employing their own browser engines such as Blink and Gecko on iOS.

Browsers on Android, such as Chrome and Edge (and Opera), use the Blink engine, while Firefox uses Gecko. However, on iOS, the policy from Apple has effectively ensnared every browser to WebKit. This Japanese law alters this, facilitating genuine alternative browser engines on iOS the nation over the first run through.

Apple has not always had a clean record with browser choice regulations. Apple brought support for alternative browser engines to the EU in 2024 via the iOS 17.4 rollout under the Digital Markets Act. But Apple had a fairly draconian regional-based lockout, which hindered the creation of engines such as Gecko for iOS.

Another significant change in the EU as part of the iOS 17.4 update was the ability to download apps from alternative app stores, something Android users have had for years. In Europe, Apple users also got the ability to set default apps beyond Apple’s own apps.

Over the similar time, Apple has undergone intensifying global criticism for its tight control over its ecosystem. In the US, the firm just lost a massive lawsuit against Fortnite developer Epic Games. A court held that Apple’s anti-competitive in-app purchase restrictions were illegal, and ordered the company to open the door to third-party payment options.

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The Mobile Software Competition Act — Japan’s answer to Apple’s walled-garden approach — is the latest obstacle to face Apple. Starting this December, iPhone and iPad users in Japan will have the option to select alternative browser engines on iOS, which could help increase competition and lead to improvements in performance, features, and mobile browsing innovation.

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