Google CEO Sundar Pichai faced intense questioning from a US antitrust lawyer on Monday as he defended his company against allegations of illegal actions to maintain the dominance of its search engine. Amidst the case brought forward by the US Department of Justice, one of the key focuses is Google’s revenue sharing deals, in which Apple receives a significant portion of the ad revenue generated from Google being the default search engine on Apple devices. Evidence has revealed that Google paid out $26 billion last year to remain as the default search engine on various smartphones and browsers, with a majority of the payment going to Apple.
During his testimony in the Washington courtroom, Pichai emphasized Google’s mission of providing accessible and useful information to all. He stated that the mission is more relevant than ever, considering the advancements in artificial intelligence and the presence of new competitors in the search market. However, the US government lawyers attempted to scrutinize this claim throughout their two-hour questioning. Using company emails and correspondence dating back decades, they aimed to prove that Google’s default arrangement with Apple is crucial to its business.
In one particular exchange, Pichai was presented with an internal memo expressing concern that searches on Apple devices were being overshadowed by Siri. Pichai explained to Apple CEO Tim Cook that this could explain the lower-than-expected revenue from Google searches on Apple devices and suggested a solution. Another Google memo summarized a high-level meeting between the two companies in 2018, stating that their vision is for them to work as one company when it comes to search.
When confronted with the internal memo, Pichai acknowledged that while Google and Apple compete in numerous areas, there may have been some exaggeration about the success of the meeting. Additionally, Pichai was questioned about company chats in which he requested conversations to be switched to “history off” mode, automatically deleting the content after 24 hours. This raised suspicions among government lawyers that Pichai attempted to conceal incriminating conversations.
The testimony and questioning are part of an ongoing antitrust case against Google, with the US government aiming to prove that the company engaged in anti-competitive practices to maintain its search dominance. As the proceedings unfold, the outcome of the case will have significant implications for the future of Google’s search engine and the tech industry as a whole. Stay updated with the latest news through KT’s WhatsApp Channels.
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