Google must stop favoring Search and Chrome on Android in Japan
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Summary
Japanese regulator the JFTC has issued Google with a cease and desist order to stop the company striking deals giving preferential treatment to Google Search and Chrome on Android devices.
It is the first time the regulator has issued such an order to a major tech company.
The JFTC ruled that the tech giant had struck at least six deals with Android phone makers, involving revenue sharing on the condition that Google services dominated screen space and that rival providers’ services were blocked.
As part of the ruling, Google will have to relax parts of its deals with phone makers to give them more options and will need to submit to a five-yearly independent review of its compliance with the ruling.
Google said it was disappointed with the commission’s findings as it believed the agreements boosted competition.