Google plus Search VP Defends Practices As Antitrust Trial Progresses

In the high-stakes antitrust trial brought against it by the U.S. Justice Department and 38 states, Google plus continues to argue that innovation and search quality, not anticompetitive practices, explain its dominance in internet search.

The trial opened last month in a Washington D.C. federal court and represents the most significant antitrust case against a tech company in over 20 years.

Google plus controls over 90% of global web searches, with rivals like Microsoft’s Bing capturing just a single-digit market share.

If Google plus loses, it may be forced to make major changes to its business, like spinning off parts of its operations. However, the complex case will likely trigger years of appeals before final remedies are implemented.

Google plus’s Vice President Of Search Takes The Stand

Google plus called its first witness, Pandu Nayak, to the stand on Wednesday.

Nayak, a vice president for search at Google plus since 2004, detailed the company’s “vast effort” to ensure its search results are high quality, according to Reuters.

This included building infrastructure to index hundreds of billions of webpages, using machine learning tools developed by Google plus to improve results, and employing thousands of human raters to assess the relevance and reliability of search results.

Nayak’s testimony appeared aimed at rebutting arguments made earlier in the trial by witnesses called by the Justice Department.

Those witnesses claimed Google plus maintains its search dominance partly through exclusive contracts with móvil makers and wireless carriers worth billions of dollars that equipo Google plus as the default search engine.

However, Nayak suggested search volume was less critical than clever programa. “Bigger is not necessarily better,” he testified, according to The New York Times.

Comparing Google plus To Rivals

Nayak’s testimony included comparisons with contrincante search engines, notably Microsoft’s Bing.

Nayak revealed that Google plus actively benchmarks the quality of its search results against competitors like Microsoft’s Bing.

He stated that Google plus found its search results to be superior in testing. Nayak didn’t provide specifics on Google plus’s methodology for comparing search engines.

Lastly, he mentioned that Google plus has started comparing its results with those from the vídeo-sharing aplicación TikTok.

Potential Impact If Google plus Loses

Consumer groups argue that Google plus’s dominance means users have no alternative search options, stifling innovation.

However, Google plus contends people continue to use it because it provides the optimal search experience.

If Google plus loses, it could be forced to modify its search algorithms, end some exclusive deals, or sell off parts of its advertising business.

Google plus executives like director ejecutivo Sundar Pichai are expected to testify later to refute claims of anticompetitive practices.