TOKYO, April 16 -- Japanese regulators on Tuesday accused US tech giant Google of violating anti-monopoly laws, echoing similar moves in the US and Europe.

Google Japan said in a statement that it found the action "regrettable." It said it has invested in Japan significantly to promote innovation as a technology leader, AP reports.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission's "cease and desist order" says Google must stop the pre-installation of the Google search engine in Android smartphones, which it said in effect shuts out competition.

It's unclear if Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., based in Mountain View in the Silicon Valley, will take legal action to fight the order.

In the US, a judge ruled last year that Google's ubiquitous searc...