Official statements from Japan's Fair Trade Commission or Google's public disclosures

Japan's FTC Accuses Google of Ad Market Restrictions, 2015-2022

Apr 22, 2024, 11:49 AM

Japan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has taken antitrust action against Alphabet's Google, alleging that from 2015 to 2022, Google engaged in practices that restricted Yahoo Japan's ability to compete in the market for targeted search ads on mobile devices. The FTC claims that Google prevented Yahoo Japan from accessing necessary technology to earn revenue from these ads and influenced local smartphone makers to prioritize its search services. In response to these findings, the FTC has directed Google to amend its practices and has vowed to continue monitoring the company's actions. This is part of a broader push by Japanese authorities to increase scrutiny on large technology firms.