Japan’s Fair Trade Commission has initiated an investigation into Google to determine if the tech giant breached regulations by seeking preferential treatment from smartphone manufacturers.

This investigation adds to Google’s ongoing legal challenges as it grapples with competition authorities in various jurisdictions, including the United States.

The agency’s scrutiny centers on allegations that Google required smartphone manufacturers to include its search apps on their devices and have them prominently displayed in specific locations.

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The investigation examines claims that Google entered into agreements with Android device makers, stipulating that they exclude rival search apps from their products in exchange for a share of the advertising revenues generated from Google searches.