According to the Nikkei, the Japanese competition watchdog considers that Google broke the law in the search affair – 12/22/2024 at 09:33

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Japan's competition watchdog is expected to find Google GOOGL.O guilty of violating the country's competition law, Nikkei Asia reported Sunday, citing sources.

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

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

Last October, Japan's competition watchdog began investigating Google for possible violations of anti-monopoly laws in the area of ​​web search services, following similar measures taken by authorities in Europe and in other major economies.

Chrome is the world's most widely used web browser and is a pillar of Google's business because it provides user insights that help the company target ads more effectively and cost-effectively.

Last month, the US Department of Justice argued before a judge that Alphabet-owned Google should divest its Chrome browser and should not be allowed to re-enter the browser market for five years, in order to end to Google's search monopoly.