TOKYO – Japanese regulators on Tuesday accused U.S. tech giant Google of violating anti-monopoly laws, echoing similar moves in the U.S. and Europe.
Google Japan expressed disappointment over the action taken, labeling it as “regrettable.” The company highlighted its significant investments in Japan aimed at fostering innovation and asserting its position as a leader in technology.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission issued a “cease and desist order” instructing Google to halt the practice of pre-installing the Google search engine on Android smartphones. This directive is based on the belief that such actions impede fair competition in the market by limiting the entry of other search engine options.
It’s unclear if Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., based in Mountain View in the Silicon Valley, will take legal action to fight the order.
In a similar vein, a U.S. court ruling from the previous year found Google guilty of leveraging its dominant position in the search engine market to stifle competition unlawfully. While Google refuted these claims and asserted its popularity was due to user preference, the legal battle is anticipated to be protracted, spanning over several years through the appeals process.
Japanese regulators began their investigation into Google in 2023. They said they consulted with overseas authorities dealing with similar cases.
European regulators have also slammed what they see as Google’s monopolistic dominance.
Tuesday’s move marks the first time the Japan Fair Trade Commission has taken such an action against a major global technology company.
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