Japan to join forces in regulating Google, Apple, and other tech giants
EU competition regulators in August launched an investigation into a $2.1bn bid by Google to buy Fitbit that aimed to take on Apple and Samsung in the wearable technology market.
Japan will join forces with the US and Europe to take on any market abuses by the four big tech companies, the new head of its antitrust watchdog said, a sign Tokyo will join global efforts to regulate digital platform operators.
Kazuyuki Furuya, chairman of Japan's Fair Trade Commission, also said Tokyo could open a probe into any merger or business tie-up involving fitness tracker maker Fitbit if the size of such deals are big enough.
“If the size of any merger or business-tie up is big, we can launch an anti-monopoly investigation into the buyer’s process of acquiring a start-up (like Fitbit),” he told .
“We’re closely watching developments including in Europe,” he said.
EU competition regulators in August launched an investigation into a $2.1bn bid by Google to buy Fitbit that aimed to take on Apple and Samsung in the wearable technology market.
Japan is laying the groundwork to regulate platform operators. Among them are big tech giants — Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook — that face various competition probes in western nations.
Multinational companies like the big tech firms, have similar business practices across the globe, which makes global coordination crucial, Mr Furuya said.
“We’ll work closely with our US and European counterparts, and respond if to any moves that hamper competition,” he said.
“This is an area I will push through aggressively,” he said, adding the FTC was ready to open probes if digital platformers abuse their dominant market positions against consumers.
Mr Furuya, who assumed the post in September, also said the FTC would conduct research into Japan’s mobile phone market to see whether there is any room for improvement to spur competition.
Reuters
