TOKYO: Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google engage in practices that undermine competition in the smartphone app market, an advisory panel to Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry alleged on Sept 15. Two of the practices it identified, restricting payment methods developers can accept and preventing the use of virtual currencies between apps, could violate Japan's anti-monopoly law, the advisory panel said in a report. "If the competition regulator judges certain actions to be illegal, they should take firm legal measures in response." Apple and Google officials were not immediately available for comment. Japan's government has placed renewed focus on the technology industry after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made investment in cutting edge technology a central part of his economic growth strategy.

Source: The Star September 15, 2016 02:37 UTC