Apple, Google formally under investigation by Japan antitrust agency

Oct 07, 2021 | News On Japan

Oct 07, 2021 (appleinsider.com) - Japan's antitrust regulator is firing up a full examination to determine if Apple and Google have each unfairly leveraged their dominance over phones, smartwatches, and other wearables.

Following the launch of the Japanese government's antitrust investigation into Apple, and previous studies, the country's Fair Trade Commission is now scrutinising the company. Japan's FTC is to compile a report on why competition has remained static, and whether Apple and Google are using anti-competitive practices.

According to Nikkei Asia, the commission's Secretary-General Shuichi Sugahisa says the report will be based on interviews and surveys with users and developers.

Japan's FTC will interview Apple and Google, too. It will also work with Japanese central government's Digital Market Competition Council, which is another of the now four distinct investigations into competition.

These investigations cover anti-competition concerns in cloud services, ecommerce and app stores, plus digital advertising.

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