Japan Initiates Antimonopoly Investigation into Google's Dominance in Search

In a move that mirrors similar actions taken by authorities in Europe and other major economies, Japan's competition watchdog, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), has announced an investigation into Google's potential violation of antimonopoly laws in web search services.

Credits: REUTERS

The probe focuses on allegations that Google has been returning a portion of its revenue to Android smartphone manufacturers on the condition that they do not install rival search engines.

The JFTC is also examining Google's practice of pre-installing its own applications, such as "Google Search" and "Google Chrome," on Android devices alongside the "Google Play" app. The commission suspects that these actions may be excluding competitors from the market and restricting the business activities of Google's partners.

During a press conference, a JFTC official emphasised that the issue at hand is not the widespread use of Google's services but rather the need for fair competition. The official expressed concerns about the difficulty other search engine providers face in being recognised as a user's choice, even if they have made significant improvements.

This investigation follows similar probes conducted by antitrust regulators in the European Union and the United States. The JFTC's actions highlight the global scrutiny faced by Google over its dominant position in the search market and its business practices.

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• Japan's competition watchdog, the JFTC, has launched an investigation into Google's potential breach of antimonopoly laws in web search services.

• The probe focuses on allegations that Google has been incentivising Android smartphone manufacturers to exclude rival search engines.

• The JFTC is also examining Google's practice of pre-installing its own applications on Android devices.

Source: REUTERS