Google Faces Antitrust Charges in Japan

(Reuters) – Japan's competition watchdog is expected to find Google guilty of violating the country's antitrust law, according to Nikkei Asia sources.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) will soon issue a cease and desist order asking Google to halt its monopolistic practices, the report added.

Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the JFTC could not be reached.

The Japanese competition watchdog began investigating Google for a possible breach of antimonopoly laws in web search services last October, following similar actions by authorities in Europe and other major economies.

Chrome is the world's most widely used web browser and a key component of Google's business, providing user information that helps the company target ads more effectively.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice argued in court that Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) should divest its Chrome browser and be barred from re-entering the browser market for five years to end Google's search monopoly.