The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has launched a probe into Google over possible breach of antimopoly laws in web search services.

The JFTC on Monday said it would investigate whether the Alphabet-owned company violated the Antimonopoly Act by returning part of its revenues to Android phone manufacturers on the condition that they not install rival search engines.

Yahoo Finance reports that the probe could widen to include Android phone makers who are found to be complicity in the potential antitrust activity.

The news was first reported by Nikkei, with the regulator planning to solicit information and views on the matter from the public.This investigation will mark the first time that the JFTC has consulted with third parties from the start of an individual probe.

Responding to the news of the probe, a spokesperson for Google said: that Android’s “openness and flexibility ensure that users always have a choice to customise their devices to suit their needs, including the way they browse and search the internet, or download apps”.

The search engine giant is facing scrutiny from regulators globally over its business practices, including in the US where chief exec Sundar Pichai is expected to testify in the coming weeks in the biggest tech anti-monopoly case since the 1990s.

In Europe, Google last month launched a last-ditch effort to overturn a €2.42 billion antitrust fine imposed by the European Union in 2017 for market abuse related to its shopping service.

Overall, the company has faced three penalties for anti-competitive practices that have cost it €8.25 billion over the last decade.

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