Japan begins probe into Google for alleged antitrust violations

Japan’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. — Reuters

Japan’s antitrust watchdog has begun an investigation into whether Alphabet Inc’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 prioritise its search services on their devices, the Nikkei earlier reported.

The Japanese probe comes on top of an antitrust case the US has mounted against the global search leader. Federal regulators accuse Google of abusing its dominance to block startups and larger rivals such as Microsoft Corp, 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 Inc 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.

A representative for Google in Japan didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. – Bloomberg