On Monday, Japan’s antitrust regulatory body announced its inquiry into Google to determine whether the tech company infringed upon regulations by seeking special treatment from smartphone manufacturers.
This investigation by the Japan Fair Trade Commission compounds the challenges faced by the internet search giant, as it already grapples with regulatory scrutiny from various competition authorities, including those in the United States.
The regulatory agency has raised concerns that Google may have imposed conditions obliging the inclusion of its search applications on devices, along with specific placements for their icons.
Google also signed contracts with Android device makers to not include its rival search apps in their products in exchange for sharing profits generated from advertising revenues from Google searches.
The commission will seek the public’s input until November 22.
