Google CEO Sundar Pichai had words of warning for the Justice Department as he took the witness stand during the antitrust trial against the tech giant. Pichai reportedly took the witness stand on Wednesday at his company’s breakup trial in an attempt to preserve the competitive advantages of a crown jewel: Google Search.
“It will have many unintended consequences,” Pichai said, according to Bloomberg.
During the trial Pichai was of the opinion that the government’s current approach of trying to break up Google’s monopoly was an inept way to spur competition.
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The Google antitrust trial, led by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), is a landmark case accusing Google of illegally maintaining its dominance in the search engine market. Filed in 2020 and starting trial in September 2023, the DOJ argues that Google used multibillion-dollar deals with companies like Apple to make its search engine the default on smartphones and browsers, stifling competition and innovation. Google contends that users choose its services because they are superior, not due to unfair practices. This is the most significant antitrust case against a tech company since the DOJ’s case against Microsoft in the 1990s.
The outcome could reshape how digital markets operate, especially regarding search, advertising, and default software settings. The trial is being closely watched as a potential precedent for future tech regulation. A final decision from Judge Amit Mehta is expected in 2025, with major implications for Google and the broader tech industry.
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Pichai’s testimony reportedly unfolded in the Washington, D.C., federal district court where Google went to trial in 2023 against the Justice Department. In August 2024, District Judge Amit Mehta found Google liable for illegally monopolizing the general search engine market and the market for general search engine text.
The antitrust ruling against Google means the company could face major changes in how it does business. If the court enforces remedies, Google might be forced to stop paying companies like Apple to make its search engine the default. This could reduce Google’s dominance in search and give smaller competitors a better chance. It may also lead to changes in how Google bundles its services, like Chrome and Android. Overall, this could limit Google’s control over the search and advertising markets, lower its profits, and set a legal precedent that affects how other tech giants operate in the future.