Japan Issues Cease-and-Desist Order against Google

   Tokyo, April 15 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Fair Trade Commission on Tuesday issued a cease-and-desist order against Google LLC, claiming that the company forced smartphone makers to install its search app in violation of the antimonopoly law.
   Google became the first "GAFA" U.S. information technology giant to receive such an order from the Japanese antitrust watchdog.
   According to the FTC, since July 2020 at the latest, Google has concluded contracts to require manufacturers of Android devices to place Google Search in an advantageous position on smartphone screens as a default when approving the use of the app store Google Play.
   In addition, as a condition for paying part of the revenue from search-linked advertising services to device manufacturers and others, Google has concluded contracts to prohibit search apps of competitors from being installed on smartphones.
   These practices had led to the exclusion of Google rivals from the search services market.

(2025/04/15-17:59)