The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) accuses Google of breaking the law by imposing “transactions with onerous terms” on Android smartphone makers in Japan.
Specifically, she claims that Google made its Google Play online app store installed as part of a package with its Chrome browser. Google Play is so widely used that without it, “Android devices are practically unsaleable,” this source told AFP.
Financial incentives? The JFTC also believes that Google has dangled financial incentives to push these smartphone manufacturers to exclude competing search applications, according to this source who declined to be identified because the information is not yet public.
These are “unfair business practices” prohibited by antitrust law, she continued, adding that a cease and desist letter would be sent to Google pending a hearing.
“Quite strong” measure. This administrative action is a “pretty strong” measure, the source said, and the first against GAFAM – American technology giants Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft. Contacted by AFP, Google Japan did not wish to react immediately. In the United States and Europe, Google is also targeted by antitrust actions.
In November, the US government asked a judge to order Google to be broken up by selling off its Chrome browser. For its part, the European Commission recommended last year that Google sell some of its activities, under penalty of a fine of up to 10% of its global turnover.
© Agence France-Presse
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