Japan eyes legislation to regulate global IT giants

Besides the regulations on IT firms, the draft growth strategy also calls on companies to hire employees until age 70 as part of efforts to address a serious labor crunch amid Japan's rapidly graying population.

Many companies in Japan currently set retirement age at 60 but employees are legally allowed to work until 65 if they desire and employers are obliged to rehire them.

The draft strategy presents seven options for companies regarding the employment of seniors, including abolishing the retirement age, lifting it to 70, and providing support for retired employees to find new jobs, start their own businesses or work freelance.

The draft policy package also includes a plan to secure public transportation in depopulated areas amid a lack of taxi drivers, such as expanding ride-sharing services involving private cars that are currently banned in most parts of the country.

It also aims to relax rules on taxi use and enable customers to share taxi rides with strangers, according to the draft.

Wow! Why in the WORLD is this being added to an article regarding regulation of tech firms?

What? The Japanese government says that companies are ''stifling fair competition''. What an absurd statement. Anyone that has spent anytime in Japan knows that this is what the Japanese government does. Two things I take away from this article are: Foreign Business is Bad for 'The Japanese' and the Japanese worker needs to work longer. Yep, that's the Japan I know and love...

@ Yubaru : Wow! Why in the WORLD is this being added to an article regarding regulation of tech firms?

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Good question.

To fill space, me thinks . . .

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"....regulate global . . . information technology giants "

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I concur - this kind of legislation is needed - not only in Japan.