Japan's Fair Trade Commission Investigates Google for Potential Antitrust Violations

Investigation initiated by Japan's Fair Trade Commission scrutinizes Google's agreements with mobile device manufacturers potentially limiting competition, marking first implementation of Japan's digital competition policy introduced in 2022.

Japan's Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) is investigating Google for potential antitrust violations within the search service market. The probe is focused on Google’s agreements with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) which may limit competition.
Specifically, the JFTC is scrutinizing two practices: Google's requirement for OEMs to install its applications and dictate the placement of application icons, and a revenue sharing agreement between Google and OEMs conditioned on not pre-installing rival search applications.
This investigation is the first implementation of Japan's digital competition policy, introduced in June 2022, which advocates for the strengthening of information-gathering capacities to step up its activities against potential monopolistic practices.
The probe comes amid mounting global scrutiny of Google’s business practices, including the US Justice Department’s ongoing high-profile effort to dismantle Google's search empire.
Other countries have also pursued legal action against Google. South Korea has introduced laws requiring Google to open its Play store to third-party payments, and India has recently won an antitrust case against Google regarding Android services.