In this saga, there is more news: governments are accusing Google of monopolistic actions in favor of its search application and Chrome browser. The Japanese Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has issued a cease-and-desist order to Google, requiring the tech company to stop all efforts to obtain preferences for Android phones.
The Commission alleges that Google required phone manufacturers to pre-install Chrome and Google Search on Android phones, as well as to set Chrome as the default browser. It is also alleged that they had to place icons of each application on the home screen. This arrangement was reached due to the tech company’s power as a provider of the Google Play app ecosystem, which Android manufacturers must install before distribution.
However, the JFTC also alleges that Google sweetened the deal by agreeing to give these phone makers a portion of its advertising revenue. As of December last year, six Android phone manufacturers allegedly had such agreements with Google. These arrangements have been in place since at least July 2020, if not earlier.
The JFTC’s decision was made following an investigation launched in October 2023. It comes the same week that a Japanese delegation led by Economy Minister Ryohei Akazawa will visit the United States for tariff talks.
The United States has expressed similar concerns to Japan. Last November, US federal judge Amit Mehta called Google a “monopoly” in the search engine industry and urged the company to sell Chrome. An evidentiary hearing in the case is scheduled to begin later this month, and the trial is expected to begin in May.
