Evaluation on Transparency and Fairness of Specified Digital Platforms Compiled

1. Background and purpose

Based on Article 9, Paragraph 2 of the Act on Improving Transparency and Fairness of Digital Platforms (Act No. 38 of 2020; hereinafter referred to as the "TFDPA"), the Minister of METI is required to evaluate the transparency and fairness of specified digital platforms.
Under the TFDPA, "specified digital platform providers" which are subject to its regulations are required to voluntarily strive to improve the transparency and fairness of specified digital platforms based on the results of this evaluation.

2. Outline of the assessment

Today, METI released this evaluation—the first since the TFDPA came into effect—after it had been compiled based on the opinions sent through public comments on the draft evaluation (comprehensive online shopping malls and app stores).

The specified digital platforms reviewed in this evaluation are as follows.

Business category	Specified digital platform	Specified digital platform providers
Comprehensive online shopping malls	Amazon.co.jp	Amazon Japan G.K.
	Rakuten Ichiba	Rakuten Group, Inc.
	Yahoo! Shopping	Yahoo Japan Corporation
App stores	App Store	Apple Inc. and iTunes K.K.
	Google Play Store	Google LLC

This evaluation is based on the opinions of experts from the Monitoring Meeting on the Transparency and Fairness of Digital Platforms (Chaired by Okada Yosuke, Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University) and relevant parties, in addition to the content of the reports submitted by the specified digital platform providers, information given to the Digital Platform Consultation Desk, and other information.

In addition, this evaluation also expresses the direction of efforts expected of specified digital platform providers, taking into consideration the guidelines set by the Minister of METI. The following are examples of initiatives through dialogs with business users and society.

• Setting a sufficient amount of time to prepare in the event of a change (e.g., in transaction conditions) and explaining the details and reasons behind the change in a way that is easy to understand, taking into consideration the circumstances of business users of specified digital platforms (hereinafter referred to as "business users ")
• Continuously improving complaint consultations while taking into consideration the voices of business users
• Ensuring an appropriate process in the case of account suspension, continuously improving the way they are handled, and disclosing specific reasons in advance to the extent that the business users can effectively raise an objection
• Continuously working toward mutual understanding regarding app store fees with business users
• Establishing a system and providing explanations in a way that can be objectively verified in order to dispel the concerns of business users and society regarding preferential treatment of the company and related companies

It is expected that specified digital platform providers will voluntarily and actively strive to improve their operations based on the results of this evaluation. METI will closely monitor the progress of their efforts.

Note: This evaluation includes summaries of the "Individual cases regarding enforcement of the TFDPA” (April 1, 2021, to October 31, 2022). The purpose is to increase the transparency of the operation of the TFDPA and to encourage specified digital platform providers' compliance, voluntary cooperation with investigations, and implementation of improvement measures.

3. Related materials

• Evaluation on Transparency and Fairness of Specified Digital Platforms (Comprehensive Online Shopping Malls and App Stores)(PDF:934KB) updated on March 10, 2023
• Main text of the evaluation(PDF:228KB) updated on March 10, 2023
• Appendix 1: Individual cases regarding enforcement of the TFDPA (April 1, 2021, to October 31, 2022)(PDF:149KB) updated on March 10, 2023
• Appendix 2: Evaluation on Transparency and Fairness of Specified Digital Platforms (Detailed)(PDF:272KB) updated on March 10, 2023
• Appendix 3: Summary of complaint and dispute resolution by specified digital platform providers (FY2021)(PDF:319KB) updated on March 10, 2023

4. References

• Summary of the public comments that METI received and METI's responses thereto (in Japanese)(PDF:1,935KB)
• Opinions of the Monitoring Meeting (November 11, 2022)(PDF:705KB) updated on March 10, 2023
• Yearly Report summary (Amazon Japan G.K.) (in Japanese)(PDF:2,849KB)
• Yearly Report summary (Rakuten Group, Inc.) (in Japanese)(PDF:1,507KB)
• Yearly Report summary (Yahoo Japan Corporation) (in Japanese)(PDF:3,547KB)
• Yearly Report summary (Apple Inc. and iTunes K.K.) (in Japanese)(PDF:9,250KB)
• Yearly Report summary (Google LLC) (in Japanese)(PDF:743KB)
• Questions and verifications for specified digital platform providers (answers from each company) (August 25, 2022, Appendix 3 of the third Monitoring Meeting) (in Japanese)(PDF:2,366KB)

5. Related link

• Digital Platforms
• Monitoring Meeting on the Transparency and Fairness of Digital Platforms to be Held (Press Release, December 21, 2021)

Division in Charge

Digital Market Policy Office, Digital Economy Division, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau