TOKYO, April 24, 2024—Google Inc.’s size and power have prevailed over Japan’s antirust agency, when the authority gave a light, ambiguous administrative order to the internet giant with no fine April 23, 2024.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission released a statement emphasized that the administrative order it termed a ‘commitment procedure’ issued to Google’ to correct its business restrictions on digital advertisement distributions of Line Yahoo Co. of Japan was the first time Japan has issued to a multinational internet giant.
JFTC said it did not slap a fine on Google because the company pledged to discontinue its restrictive business practice on LY and that it would supply relevant technology to LY during the next three years as well as that it would submit progress reports to JFTC.
LY had to use Google’s search engine for running on-line ads.
The latest episode is indicative that Japanese administrative authority are reluctant to challenge U.S. big tech companies head-on for fear of unpredictable reprisal and implicit political pressure to keep stable U.S.-Japan tech ties. U.S. big tech CEOs were seen at the recent White House state dinner President Biden hosted for PM Kishida.
So what was this JFTC slap on Google’s wrist about? It’s a small theater performance for the antitrust watchdog to show that it’s there among Japaneses government offices and doing some work.
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