Japan’s antitrust watchdog has begun an investigation into whether Alphabet’s Google abuses its market position to block rival services, compounding scrutiny of the internet leader’s business practices across the globe.
The country’s Fair Trade Commission has begun a probe centered on allegations of potential antitrust violations, an official with the agency said, confirming a Nikkei report. It plans to solicit information and views on the matter from the public, the official added. The agency plans to examine whether Google inappropriately asked smartphone makers to prioritize its search services on their devices.
The Japanese investigation marked the first time the commission has consulted with third parties from the outset of an individual probe, agency officials told reporters in Tokyo. The probe could widen to include Android phone makers found to be complicit in antitrust activity, an official said, without elaborating.
The Japanese probe comes on top of an antitrust case the United States has mounted against the global search leader. Federal regulators accuse Google of abusing its dominance to block startups and larger rivals such as Microsoft, a key argument in the biggest tech anti-monopoly case since the 1990s.
High-profile executives including Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella and top Apple dealmaker Eddy Cue have taken the stand in that trial, which isn’t expected to yield an outcome till next year. Google CEO Sundar Pichai is expected to testify in the coming weeks.
Google said it worked with governments including in Japan to support the Android mobile software ecosystem and would continue to do so. "Its openness and flexibility ensure that users always have a choice to customize their devices to suit their needs, including the way they browse and search the internet, or download apps,” the company said in a statement Monday.