In a major development in the ongoing Google antitrust trial, Apple senior vice president of services Eddy Cue is set to testify on Tuesday. Cue is expected to defend Apple’s decision to make Google the default search engine on its devices, arguing that it is the best product for its users.
Google pays Apple billions of dollars each year for this preferential treatment, and the deal has been under scrutiny by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ alleges that Google has used its market dominance to stifle competition in the online search market.
Cue is expected to argue that Apple has no incentive to create its own search engine because Google already provides a superior product.
He is also expected to say that Apple users can easily change their default search engine if they prefer, and that the company has revenue-sharing agreements with competing search engines like Yahoo, Microsoft Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia.
Cue’s testimony could shed some light on one of the most high-profile deals in the technology industry. The money Google pays to Apple for default placement is one of its biggest costs, and the advertising revenue Apple collects from Google is a major part of Apple’s profits.
The Google trial is expected to last 10 weeks, and it is the biggest technology monopoly trial since the DOJ took on Microsoft more than 20 years ago.
The DOJ alleges that Google has violated antitrust law by striking exclusive agreements with mobile phone makers for its Android operating system and browser companies for default placement.
The government alleges that this practice creates barriers to entry for competing search engines.
The outcome of the trial could have a major impact on the future of the internet. If the DOJ is successful, Google could be forced to change its business practices, which could open the door to more competition in the online search market.
Also read: Apple Executives Summoned to Testify in Google’s Multi-Billion Dollar Search Engine Deal
