In response to ongoing antitrust scrutiny, Google CEO Sundar Pichai remains committed to defending the company’s practices and promoting continued innovation. During an earnings call, Pichai expressed confidence in Google’s legal stance and emphasized the company’s focus on making its products accessible to users worldwide.
When questioned about potential effects from losing significant contracts related to Google Search—such as with Apple—and remedies suggested by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a historic antitrust case, Pichai reiterated Google’s intent to defend its practices. He described DOJ proposals as “far-reaching” and voiced concerns over possible implications for the tech industry.
“First of all, we plan to vigorously defend these cases,” Pichai stated. “And some of the early proposals from the DOJ, et cetera, have been far-reaching.” He further elaborated on his apprehensions, saying, “I think they could have unintended consequences, particularly to the dynamic tech sector and the American leadership there. And we plan to engage very vigorously there.”
While refraining from providing a detailed action plan, Pichai underscored Google’s leadership as a search engine, citing its history of technological advancements. “It’s not appropriate for me to speculate given it’s in the middle of ongoing litigation. But what I would say is stepping back, look, we’ve always—and even as the court acknowledged—clearly, we have reached a position of success because we have deeply innovated, and we are continuing to do so,” he explained.
“People have chosen us because they view it as the best product, be it consumers or partners. And we have a long track record of working hard to make sure our products are as easily available to users as possible across all platforms. So all that approach and all the learnings over the years, I think, will all be—will give us a strong foundation,” he added.
This is not the first time Pichai has addressed Google’s plans to contest regulatory challenges, emphasizing that scrutiny is an inevitable aspect of being a large, successful tech company.
