Japan’s Regulators Examine Google for Alleged Antitrust Violations in Mobile Search
In Brief
Japan’s watchdog is intensifying regulatory scrutiny on Google for potential antitrust violations related to its mobile search practices.
The investigation focuses on allegations of revenue-sharing agreements and the prioritization of Google services on Android devices, adding to the global regulatory pressure on the tech giant.
Japan’s Fair Trade Commission has launched an investigation into Google, owned by Alphabet, over potential antitrust law violations related to its mobile search practices.
The investigation intensifies regulatory pressure on Google as regulators examine claims that the tech giant made deals with Android phone manufacturers. These deals involve sharing ad revenue in exchange for not using rival search engines and potentially giving preferential treatment to Google services on Android devices.
Google, responding to the investigation, emphasized that Android is an open-source platform that offers users the flexibility to customize their devices as per their preferences.
The Japan FTC is requesting input from third parties as part of the investigation, with the deadline for submissions set for November 22.
The company’s Android system currently dominates the global mobile operating system market with an approximate 80% market share. This scrutiny of Google’s Android-related activities follows previous antitrust fines, including a 2018 penalty of 4.34 billion euros imposed by the European Union for favoring its own services on Android devices.
Moreover, Google recently made a final attempt to overturn a 2.42 billion euro EU antitrust fine related to its shopping service. The European Commission contended that Google unfairly favored its services through algorithmic manipulation. However, the tech giant argued that regulators failed to demonstrate anti-competitive practices, emphasizing that differentiation between competitors is a natural aspect of competition.
In the United States, Google is facing an antitrust trial brought by the Department of Justice, which alleges anti-competitive practices related to agreements with mobile phone and browser manufacturers to make Google the default search engine for consumers.
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About The Author
Agne is a journalist who covers the latest trends and developments in the metaverse, AI, and Web3 industries for the Metaverse Post. Her passion for storytelling has led her to conduct numerous interviews with experts in these fields, always seeking to uncover exciting and engaging stories. Agne holds a Bachelor’s degree in literature and has an extensive background in writing about a wide range of topics including travel, art, and culture. She has also volunteered as an editor for the animal rights organization, where she helped raise awareness about animal welfare issues. Contact her on agnec@mpost.io.
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Agne is a journalist who covers the latest trends and developments in the metaverse, AI, and Web3 industries for the Metaverse Post. Her passion for storytelling has led her to conduct numerous interviews with experts in these fields, always seeking to uncover exciting and engaging stories. Agne holds a Bachelor’s degree in literature and has an extensive background in writing about a wide range of topics including travel, art, and culture. She has also volunteered as an editor for the animal rights organization, where she helped raise awareness about animal welfare issues. Contact her on agnec@mpost.io.
