Japan's antitrust watchdog, the Japan Fair Trade Commission, has taken action against U.S. search giant Google, demanding that the company fix its advertising search restrictions that are affecting Yahoo in Japan. The commission's recent study found that Google's practices were undermining fair competition in the advertising market. Despite the allegations, Google has not yet responded to the request for comment.

The issue comes at a time when Yahoo has merged with the Japanese social media platform Line. However, Line Yahoo declined to comment on the situation. The alleged questionable practices by Google have been ongoing for more than seven years, dating back about a decade. As a result, Google will be under review by the commission for the next three years to ensure that necessary changes are implemented.

While there are currently no immediate fines or penalties for Google, the company remains popular among Japanese users. This latest development follows another setback for Google in Japan, as last week Japanese doctors filed a civil lawsuit against the company. The lawsuit, filed in the Tokyo District Court, demands damages for what the doctors claim are groundless derogatory and often false comments posted on Google Maps. The suit seeks 1.4 million yen ($9,400) in damages for 63 medical professionals.

In response to the lawsuit, Google stated that it is working "24 hours a day" to reduce misleading or false information on its platform. The company is using a combination of human and technological resources to delete fraudulent reviews. The situation is still developing, and the impact on Google's operations in Japan remains to be seen.

Yuri Kageyama is on X.