Japan Investigates Google Over Alleged Antitrust Violations (bloomberg.com) 6
Japan's antitrust watchdog has begun an investigation into whether Alphabet's Google abuses its market position to block rival services, compounding scrutiny of the internet leader's business practices across the globe. From a report: The country's Fair Trade Commission has begun a probe centered on allegations of potential antitrust violations, an official with the agency said, confirming a Nikkei report. It plans to solicit information and views on the matter from the public, the official added. The agency plans to examine whether Google inappropriately asked smartphone makers to prioritize its search services on their devices.
The Japanese investigation marked the first time the commission has consulted with third parties from the outset of an individual probe, agency officials told reporters in Tokyo. The probe could widen to include Android phone makers found to be complicit in antitrust activity, an official said, without elaborating. Japan's review comes on top of an antitrust case the US has mounted against the global search leader. Federal regulators accuse Google of abusing its dominance to block startups and larger rivals such as Microsoft, a key argument in the biggest tech anti-monopoly case since the 1990s.
The Japanese investigation marked the first time the commission has consulted with third parties from the outset of an individual probe, agency officials told reporters in Tokyo. The probe could widen to include Android phone makers found to be complicit in antitrust activity, an official said, without elaborating. Japan's review comes on top of an antitrust case the US has mounted against the global search leader. Federal regulators accuse Google of abusing its dominance to block startups and larger rivals such as Microsoft, a key argument in the biggest tech anti-monopoly case since the 1990s.
Re: (Score:3)
Dream on baby...
Everybody thought Microsoft was done for in 2001, and to everyone's dismay, they came out of the antitrust lawsuit unscathed.
That was a much clearer cut case of abuse of dominant position, and the administration wasn't quite as hysterically ultra-liberal as it has been lately (it remains to be seen if the Biden administration reverses the madness a bit).
So as much as I hate to say it, Google will probably come out of this in one piece.
Successful == Antitrust (Score:3)
That seems to be the trend.
Re: (Score:2)
Others can't successfully compete with an abusive monopoly. That's the point of antitrust law.
Google should be investigated (Score:2)