Summary
- Japan’s antitrust watchdog is reportedly accusing Google of violating antitrust laws over its Chrome browser and bundling deals with smartphone makers.
- Japan’s Fair Trade Commission found Google unfairly stifled competition in search market and could issue a cease and desist order.
- In response to global pressure, the US and EU are also demanding that Google sell off assets to reduce dominance.
The tech industry is closely watching the legal battle unfolding around Google, especially after a ruling in August that the company unfairly dominated online search. This ruling could shake up the industry and change how web search works, possibly leading to major shifts for Google itself. In November, the US government stepped up by asking the court to consider a bold move: forcing Google to sell off assets like the Chrome browser to reduce its grip on the search market. And it’s not just the US paying attention—regulators around the globe are starting to speak out about Google’s monopolistic behavior, with Japan’s antitrust watchdog now joining the fray.
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The company is under investigation for its default search engine deals
Nikkei Asia reports that the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) is about to reveal that Google broke the country’s antitrust laws over its Chrome browser. According to the report, this could lead to a cease and desist order. The JFTC kicked off its investigation last October, right after a US court ruled that Google’s dominance in the search market was anti-competitive.
According to Nikkei, the JFTC found that Google’s deals with smartphone makers gave it an unfair edge, stifling competition in the search market. The Japanese antitrust body is expected to rule that Google violated the Anti-Monopoly Act.
The JFTC claims that Google forced smartphone makers to bundle its Google Play Store with Chrome in software packages. Regulators also say Google pushed manufacturers with cash to only use its search app and ditch the competition.
This isn’t Google’s first rodeo with antitrust lawsuits
Google’s got a lot of antitrust heat coming from all over. In a major ruling, US District Judge Amit Mehta declared in November that Google’s a monopoly in the search market. This opened the door for the US government to propose last month that Google sell off Chrome and Android to break its hold on search. They also want Google to let third parties access its search engine at a low cost. The legal showdown is set to kick off in April 2025, when the trial begins.
In 2019, the European Union slapped Google with a hefty €1.49 billion fine for breaching antitrust laws, sending a clear message about its concerns over the company’s market dominance. Recently, the European Commission took things further, recommending that Google sell off parts of its business. The EU also warned that if Google doesn’t comply, it could face fines as high as 10% of its global revenue.
