Editorial

16:00 JST, April 17, 2025

The Japan Fair Trade Commission has issued its first strict administrative order against Google LLC, which is seen as dominating the search engine market, over the strong-arm business model that the U.S. tech giant has established.

Google must take the decision seriously and work earnestly to rectify the situation.

The JFTC found that Google had violated the Antimonopoly Law because it was unfairly restricting the business of its partners by pressuring them to give it preferential treatment. The watchdog’s issuance of a cease-and-desist order is its first against a U.S. tech giant, according to the regulators.

The JFTC also ordered Google to select lawyers and other experts who will make up a third party and monitor whether the company is properly implementing measures to prevent the........

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