JAPAN DEMANDS GOOGLE TO STOP ‘PRESSURING’ SMARTPHONE MAKERS TO PREINSTALL ITS SEARCH APP

Tue 15 April 2025:

Japan’s competition watchdog on Tuesday told Google to stop “unfairly pressuring” smartphone makers to preinstall its widely used search app, Kyodo News reported.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission concluded that Google, which dominated the online search market, violated the antitrust law and severely undermined competition.

This marked the first such order issued to Google by Japan’s competition watchdog.

Since at least July 2020, Google has mandated that six smartphone makers using its Android operating system preinstall Google apps, such as the Chrome browser, according to the commission.

These agreements covered at least 80% of Android devices sold in Japan.

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Google also entered into agreements with four device manufacturers and one telecom operator, offering a share of its advertising revenue in exchange for not preinstalling apps from rival companies on their devices.

Google’s faced global antitrust scrutiny for years over its dominance in search, advertising, and mobile tech. In the U.S., a 2024 ruling found Google illegally maintained a search monopoly by paying billions to secure default status on devices, violating the Sherman Act.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), joined by multiple states, sued Google for illegally maintaining a monopoly in search and search advertising. The core allegation: Google paid billions annually to companies like Apple and Samsung to secure default search engine status on devices and browsers (e.g., Safari).

The EU fined Google €2.4 billion in 2017 for favoring its shopping service, €4.34 billion in 2018 for Android restrictions, and €1.49 billion in 2019 for ad contract abuses.

In 2022, India’s Competition Commission fined Google ₹13.4 billion (~$160 million) for abusing Android’s dominance, similar to the EU case. Google was ordered to allow alternative app stores and remove restrictions on manufacturers. Google challenged the ruling but implemented some changes, like supporting third-party billing in the Play Store.

South Korea fined Google for Android restrictions, while Canada and Australia are investigating its ad tech and app store practices. These countries are aligning with global efforts to curb Big Tech’s power.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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