Google has landed in yet another regulatory mess, this time in Japan, where the country's competition watchdog just hit it with a cease and desist order. The Japan Fair Trade Commission has accused Google of violating anti-monopoly laws by making sure its search engine comes baked into Android smartphones.
What's happening in Japan is a familiar remix of what's been going on elsewhere. In the U.S., the Department of Justice is already neck-deep in a major case against Google over its search dominance, with a judge already ruling that Google unfairly leaned on its market position. That case is tied up in appeals now, and if history is any guide, it could drag on for years.
And over in Europe, regulators have already slapped Google with fines for this same behavior: one of the biggest was that €4.34 billion hit in 2018 over Android restrictions.
The Japanese case is interesting for a few reasons. For starters, this is the first time the Fair Trade Commission has gone after a global tech giant like this.
Also, Japan didn't just come up with this in isolation. They've been digging into Google's conduct since 2023 and reportedly consulted with other countries already deep in their own Google battles.
Google Japan, for its part, said it found the move "regrettable." The company is also waving the innovation flag, pointing to all the investments it's made in Japan's tech ecosystem.
That's a common defense, too. Google often leans on its contributions to local markets and how popular its tools are with users.
Source: AP News
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