Google has responded to allegations that it has gained a monopoly in the search engine industry through unlawful means. In a recent report by BBC on September 13th, the tech giant disputed these claims by highlighting the ease with which users can switch to alternative search providers, stating that it takes “literally four taps.”
These statements were made by a lawyer representing Google during a court hearing in Washington, D.C., where the company is currently under trial to determine if it holds a monopoly. Legal experts consider this case as a significant examination of the regulatory authority wielded by U.S. authorities over major tech corporations. Prosecutors have framed the case as being pivotal for “the future of the internet.”
The trial is anticipated to extend over a duration of 10 weeks and will feature testimonies from Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, as well as executives from Apple. The presiding judge, Amit Mehta, was appointed to the DC district court by former President Barack Obama and will be making a decision on this case, which is regarded as the most significant for the tech industry in the past 25 years.
