Japan will investigate as early as this month whether Google and Apple forced smartphone manufacturers to install their apps and services as a condition for providing the operating software.
Officials will question smartphone manufacturers and those that sell related equipment.
The Japanese government also suspects that payment settlement services that use Google's and Apple's operating software prevent other firms from providing the same smartphone features.
The outcome of the investigation could lead to strengthened regulations of the Anti-Monopoly Law.
Google Inc., which provides Android software, and Apple Inc., which supplies iOS software, account for about 90 percent of all operating software installed on smartphones in Japan.
In February, Japan passed legislation that would obligate operators of app stores and online shopping malls to disclose information on their transactions.
The coverage of the law was expanded in April to include firms with internet advertising operations, such as Google.
A proposed strengthening of regulations could be compiled by next spring, the sources said.
The European Commission had fined Google over $4.6 billion in 2018 for forcing gadget manufacturers to install the Android software.
The US Justice Department also filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in 2020 over similar suspicions.


Nintendo Shares Slide After Earnings Miss Raises Switch 2 Margin Concerns
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality
Gold and Silver Prices Climb in Asian Trade as Markets Eye Key U.S. Economic Data
Global PC Makers Eye Chinese Memory Chip Suppliers Amid Ongoing Supply Crunch
Yen Slides as Japan Election Boosts Fiscal Stimulus Expectations
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record
Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate
Alphabet’s Massive AI Spending Surge Signals Confidence in Google’s Growth Engine
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility
AMD Shares Slide Despite Earnings Beat as Cautious Revenue Outlook Weighs on Stock
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns
Instagram Outage Disrupts Thousands of U.S. Users
Lee Seung-heon Signals Caution on Rate Hikes, Supports Higher Property Taxes to Cool Korea’s Housing Market
SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off
Nvidia Nears $20 Billion OpenAI Investment as AI Funding Race Intensifies
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Middle East Tensions 



