Japan’s antitrust watchdog finds Google broke law in search case: report

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while the Japan Fair Trade Commission could not be reached for comment. [File]
|Image source: Reuters

“Nikkei Asia” quoted sources as saying on Sunday that Japan’s competition regulator is expected to find that Google violated the country’s antitrust laws.

The report added that the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) will soon issue a cease and desist order requiring Google to stop its monopolistic behavior.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while the Japan Fair Trade Commission could not be reached for comment.

In October last year, Japan’s competition watchdog began investigating Google for possible violations of antitrust laws in its online search services, following similar measures taken by authorities in Europe and other major economies.

Chrome, the world’s most widely used web browser and the backbone of Google’s business, provides user information that helps the company target ads more effectively and increase profits.

Last month, the U.S. Justice Department argued before a judge that Alphabet’s Google must spin off its Chrome browser and be barred from re-entering the browser market for five years to end Google’s search monopoly.