Google Receives Strict Warning From Japanese Government For Violating Monopoly Law

JAKARTA Google is one of the technology companies that often faces accusations of antitrust. This time, the company was reprimanded by the Japanese government for being accused of taking illegal profits.

Not only being reprimanded, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) issued a cease and discharge rule or a stop order and should not be carried out. This rule is issued if the company is deemed to have violated state regulations related to the monopoly.

According to a report by The Japan Times, this is the first time a US tech giant has received an official cease and desist order from the Japanese government. With the issuance of this regulation, the company must stop monopolizing.

In addition, Google must provide compliance monitoring from third parties for five years and explain their latest practices in detail. If not done, Google will have to pay a fine.

This official order was issued because Google was involved in anti-competitive behavior towards developers. The company is said to be forcing device manufacturers to sign a Cellular Application Distribution Agreement and Revenue Revenue Sharing Agreement.

This agreement is considered to provide unfair benefits for third-party software. In simple terms, Google requires OEM to first install the Google Search app, including Google Chrome on other Android-based devices.

The company also prohibits manufacturers from removing Google Search as a default browser. By 2024, Gooogle has signed this restriction agreement with eleven different parties, including Japanese telecommunications providers.

In a stop order issued by JFTC, Google is prohibited from forcing manufacturers to use its search engines and browsers when they need an Android distribution license. Google is also banned from offering money or other economic benefits to maintain its monopoly efforts.