Google Defends Important Dominance in US Trial Default Search Engine

Google CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged the importance of making Google the default search engine to maintain user loyalty. 

This is a critical point in an ongoing antitrust battle with the U.S. government, focused on the billions of dollars Google paid for default status on laptops and smartphones.

Since 2005, Google has been paying for default status on devices and closely monitoring compliance. In a cross-examination, Pichai confirmed that Google sees value in their annual payments for default status. 

 The U.S. government brought the case to determine if Google illegally maintained its dominance in online search and advertising.

Pichai's testimony revealed that Google has pressured companies like Apple and smartphone makers to make their search engine the default in exchange for revenue-sharing agreements.

Pichai also criticised Microsoft's Internet Explorer, stating that Chrome was a significant improvement upon its launch in 2008.

Google's dominance in search gives them a significant advantage in the highly profitable advertising market, which is their primary source of revenue. Google argues that dissatisfied users can easily switch to another search provider if they prefer. They also defend their revenue-sharing agreements as legal and claim to have invested substantial resources to maintain competitiveness in search and advertising.

Under cross-examination, Pichai was questioned about alleged misconduct, including improperly claiming attorney-client privilege for sensitive documents and deleting instant messages without considering their relevance to litigation. Pichai indicated that he was not directly involved in these matters.

- CyberBeat