Japan to Ask Apple, Amazon to Improve Biz Practices

Tokyo, Nov. 11 (Jiji Press)--Japan's industry ministry said Friday it plans to ask Apple Inc. and Amazon Japan G.K. to improve business practices voluntarily under the law for the transparency and fairness of digital platform services.

The law obligates technology giants to disclose the terms of contracts with business partners and submit reports to the government every year.

The ministry said Apple needs to secure sufficient time for app providers to prepare for a price change and explain to them the details of and reasons behind the price change.

It cited a case in which an app provider was notified of a price change by Apple only 15 days before the introduction of the new price.

The ministry also said Amazon Japan should disclose reasons when it suspends the account of a business operator, allowing the operator to file any objection.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]