Google antitrust case: After the US, Google Faces Antitrust Case in Japan

Google antitrust case: After the United States, Google is facing trouble in Japan. Japan's competition watchdog, that is, Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), is expected to find Google guilty of violating the country's antitrust law. The organisation has determined that the company's contracts with smartphone makers unfairly restrict competition, harming the internet search market in country.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) is expected to issue a cease-and-desist order asking Google to halt its monopolistic practices soon, Nikkei Asia reported earlier this week.

Furthermore, the JFTC is expected to notify Google of the draft of its order, hear the company's opinion and announce its final decision soon.

Google did not immediately respond to request for comment while the JFTC could not be reached for comment.

The Japanese competition watchdog started investigating Google for a possible breach of antimonopoly laws in web search services last October, following similar steps by authorities in Europe and other major economies.

Chrome is the world's most widely used web browser and is a pillar of Google's business, providing user information that helps the company target ads more effectively and profitably.

Last month, the US Department of Justice argued ahead of a judge that Alphabet owned Google must divest its Chrome browser and should not be allowed to re-enter the browser market for five years in an effort to end Google's search monopoly. Google, in response to the antitrust case, has offered to make changes to its Android operating system and Chrome browser contract. 

The company also urged the US judge to 'move cautiously in deciding what the company must do to restore competition'.

"That is especially true "in an environment where remarkable artificial intelligence innovations are rapidly changing how people interact with many online products and services, including search engines," Google argued as per a report.

It is worth noting that besides the US and Japan, Canada has also sued the company over alleged anti-competitive conduct in online advertising.