Japan orders Google to stop pre-installing its search engine on Android phones, citing anti-monopoly violations in a major move against Big Tech.

Japanese regulators accused U.S. internet giant Google on Tuesday of breaking anti-monopoly regulations, replying to similar actions in the U.S. and Europe. Google Japan apologized for the incident in a statement. As a leader in technology, it claimed to have made large investments in Japan to foster innovation.

Google has to stop pre-installing the Google search engine on Android handsets as per the order given by the Japan Fair Trade Commission to cease and desist. This amounts to closing off competition for other search engines.

Google, a division of Alphabet Inc. with headquarters in Mountain View, California, is unsure if it will file a lawsuit to challenge the order.

Google's popular search engine was found to have unlawfully used its dominance to stifle competition by a U.S. judge last year. Asserting that its popularity stems from its offerings, Google has refuted the accusations. It is conceivable that the appeals procedure will take years.

In 2023, Japanese authorities began their investigation of Google. They claimed to have conferred with foreign parties having the authority to act in matters pertaining to this. European regulators have also joined the chorus to criticize what they see to be Google's monopolistic control. Tuesday's action by the Japan Fair Trade Commission against a major international technology firm is the first of its kind.