Google is being called out all over the world and accused it for adopting monopolistic monopolistic practices. The leatest accuser is the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), which reportedly alleged that Google violated the country's antitrust laws in regards to its search engine, Chrome, and issue a cease and desist letter, Nikkei Asia reported.
The watchdog started an investigation into Google's practices last October. They have already notified the company of possible disciplinary measures and will decide on them after hearing its response, they said.
The JFTC reportedly accuses Google of requiring smartphone manufacturers to sign a contract stating Chrome will be not only pre-downloaded on all devices, but that it will be placed in a certain spot on the screen. The manufacturers are allegedly forced to do this in order to have the Google Play available on their devices.
The tech giant is also suspected of mandating specific placement of app icons on device screens in exchange for access to its app store, they added.
Moreover, it is accused of striking deals with manufacturers to share part of its revenue on the condition that they refrain from pre-installing rival companies' apps on their devices, the sources said.
In the US, federal judge Amit Mehta ruled in November that Google "is a monopolist" in the search engine industry. The Department of Justice (DoJ) then called for Google to sell Chrome as it "will permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet."
The DoJ also called for Google to cease favoring Chrome on Android. Google recently released a proposal to appease the DoJ, but stated it will appeal the judge's ruling before a hearing scheduled for April.
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