The government will start investigating how Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.¡¯s Google deal with Japanese smartphone makers, which could lead to the tightening of antitrust regulations, the Nikkei newspaper reported Sunday, without saying where it got the information.
A government panel, which consists of officials, bureaucrats and external experts, will kick off the discussion this month as Apple¡¯s iOS and Google¡¯s Android software stands at more than 90% of the Japanese smartphone market, the paper said. The probe will include input from executives from domestic smartphone handset-makers as well as manufacturers of smart speakers and personal computers.
The panel will evaluate business dealings in Japan and whether they are conducted in a fair manner compared with cases overseas. The government may step up antitrust regulations if the panel finds any issues from the probe, the paper said.
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