Google CEO Sundar Pichai to testify in US
antitrust trial
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[October 30, 2023]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc and its
subsidiary Google, will testify on Monday in the once-in-a generation
antitrust fight with the U.S. government over Google's dominance of
search and some parts of search advertising.
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Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, reacts during a meeting with U.S.
President Joe Biden, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior
officials and CEOs of American and Indian companies in the East Room of
the White House in Washington, U.S., June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn
Hockstein/File Photo |
Pichai, who is being called as a witness for Google, will likely
be asked about the company's investments aimed at keeping its
online search engine dominant, especially as smartphones took
over, and innovation in search advertising.
The government, in cross examination, will likely also ask why
the company pays billions of dollars annually to ensure that
Google search is the default in smartphones.
The government has argued that Google, which has some 90% of the
search market, illegally paid an estimated $10 billion annually
to smartphone makers like Apple and wireless carriers like AT&T
and others to be the default in search on their devices in order
to stay on top. The clout in search makes Google a heavy hitter
in the lucrative advertising market, its biggest revenue source.
Google has argued the revenue share agreements are legal and
that it has invested heavily to keep its search and advertising
businesses competitive. It has also argued that if people are
dissatisfied with default search engines that they can, and do,
switch to another search provider.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz and Chris Sanders; Editing by
Marguerita Choy)
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