The Japan Fair Trade Commission, on Monday, said it is investigating to find out if Google violated rules by asking smartphone manufacturers for preferential treatment.
The probe adds to the search engine giant’s woes as it locks horns with other competition authorities, including in the United States.
The anti-trust agency said Google is suspected of requiring its search apps to be included in the devices and with their icons in specific places.
“Google also allegedly signed contracts with Android device makers not to include rival search apps in their products in exchange for sharing profits generated from advertisement revenues driven from Google searches,” the agency said.
The head of the digital platform investigation division of the commission, Saiko Nakajima said it became “difficult for other competitors to compete, no matter how much they try” when a powerful player like Google builds systems to maintain its influence.
“In the medium to long-term, such a practice could stifle innovation in the field and consumers could become the ones to face disadvantages as a result,” she said.
Meanwhile, Google’s Japan office said the company offers Android users “a choice to customise their devices to suit their needs, including the way they browse and search the internet, or download apps”.
“We have continued to work closely with government agencies to demonstrate how we are supporting the Android ecosystem and expanding user choice in Japan. We will continue to collaborate with the government and industry partners throughout this process,” it said.
At the heart of the case is Google’s relationship with Apple and the special deals between the two behemoths that make the search engine the default on Apple’s Safari browser.
