Google accused of anti-competitive tactics by Japanese regulator

Google allegedly prevented Yahoo Japan from accessing crucial technology required to generate targeted ad revenue from mobile searches from 2015 to 2022, according to Japan’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC).

Google only changed its behavior after the FTC flagged the issues. Google then committed to giving Yahoo Japan access to keyword-tied targeted advertising technology, Bloomberg reported.

Why we care. Any practices that would impact an advertiser’s choice or limit access to targeting technologies can lead to increased advertising costs.

Precedent. This is the FTC’s first-ever administrative action against Alphabet, albeit without imposing any penalty.

What next? The Japanese watchdog will closely monitor the situation and retains the right to reopen its investigation into Google. They are also investigating Alphabet’s potential influence on local smartphone makers to prioritize its search services on their devices, further intensifying scrutiny of the tech behemoth’s practices.

Similar accusations. Meanwhile, in the U.S., we’re still waiting to hear the verdict of the U.S. vs. Google antitrust trial. Part of the trial focused on whether Google used its search ad tools to put its competitors at an unfair advantage. 

Dig deeper in U.S. vs. Google antitrust trial: Everything you need to know.