Japan Says It Will Join US, Europe in Regulating Big Tech Firms

The chairman of Japan's Fair Trade Commission said Tokyo could open a probe into any merger or business tie-up involving Fitbit if the size of such deals are big enough.

Japan Says It Will Join US, Europe in Regulating Big Tech Firms

EU antitrust regulators launched an investigation into a $2.1 billion deal by Google's bid to buy Fitbit

Highlights
  • Japan is laying the groundwork to regulate platform operators
  • Among them are Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon
  • MNCs like GAFA have similar business practices across the globe
Advertisement

Japan will join forces with the United States and Europe to take on any market abuses by the four Big Tech companies, the new head of its antitrust watchdog said on Monday, a sign Tokyo will join global efforts to regulate digital platform operators.

Kazuyuki Furuya, chairman of Japan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC), 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 Reuters. "We're closely watching developments including in Europe."

EU antitrust regulators in August launched an investigation into a $2.1 billion (roughly Rs. 15,402 crores) deal by Alphabet unit Google's bid 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 dubbed "GAFA," Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon that face various antitrust probes in western nations.

Multi-national companies like GAFA have similar business practices across the globe, which makes global coordination crucial, 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.

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.

Any such move would help Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's push to slash Japan's mobile phone charges, which he has repeatedly criticised as too high.

Furuya countered the view that helping the government meet its policy priorities could undermine the FTC's position as a body mandated to act independently from political meddling.

"If there's a policy priority for the government, there's no doubt the FTC should think about what it can do on that front," Furuya said.

"By participating in the government's debate on policy issues, we have been reflecting our thinking in the process. This is something our organisation should do."

© Thomson Reuters 2020


Are iPhone 12 mini, HomePod mini the Perfect Apple Devices for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Screen Repair Cost Listed by Apple
Share on Facebook Gadgets360 Twitter Share Tweet Snapchat Share Reddit Comment google-newsGoogle News
 
 

Advertisement

Follow Us

Advertisement

© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »