In his latest court appearance in San Francisco, Pichai spent more than two hours defending the business practices of the Google Play Store, which distributes apps for the company's Android software that powers most of the world's smartphones.
At times, the soft-spoken Pichai looked nonplussed and frustrated by the confrontational questioning he faced. Other times he came across as a professor explaining complex subjects to the trial's 10-person jury located just a few feet from a podium Pichai was allowed to use because he has difficulty sitting for prolonged periods.
Epic Games, the maker of the popular video game Fortnite, is trying to convince the jury that a Google Play payment processing system that collects a 15% to 30% commission from in-app purchases is illegally hurting consumers and software developers. Google collects those commissions, according to Epic, by using its market muscle to thwart competing Android app stores a strategy that drives up prices and discourages innovation.
It echoes a previous case that Epic brought against Apple, the iPhone maker that is alternately being depicted as Google foe and ally in this trial.
Pichai's latest testimony came 15 days after he traveled to Washington D.C. to take the stand in a separate antitrust trial revolving around the U.S. Justice Department's allegations that Google has stifled competition and innovation by abusing the power of the dominant search engine that launched the company in 1998.
Although the two trials are unfolding on opposite ends of the country and are delving into different parts of a company that investors value at $1.7 trillion, they are touching upon at least two common issues - Google's immense power and its unusual relationship with Apple, an even bigger tech powerhouse.
This story is from the November 18, 2023 edition of Techlife News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 18, 2023 edition of Techlife News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
AUSTRALIA PLANS TO TAX DIGITAL PLATFORMS THAT DON'T PAY FOR NEWS
The Australian government said it will tax large digital platforms and search engines unless they agree to share revenue with Australian news media organizations.
JAPAN'S NISSAN RESHUFFLES MANAGEMENT TO FIX ITS MONEY-LOSING BUSINESS
Embattled Japanese automaker Nissan has tapped Jeremie Papin, who was overseeing its U.S. operations, as its chief financial officer in a major management reshuffle billed as key to a turnaround.
EPA AWARDS $135 MILLION TO CALIFORNIA TO PHASE OUT BIG DIESEL TRUCKS
The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $135 million in grants to fund 13 projects in California to help the state wean off fossil fuels and phase out big rigs that run on diesel.
NEARLY HALF OF US TEENS ARE ONLINE 'CONSTANTLY,' PEW REPORT FINDS
Nearly half of American teenagers say they are online “constantly” despite concerns about the effects of social media and smartphones on their mental health, according to a new report published by the Pew Research Center.
OPENAI'S LEGAL BATTLE WITH ELON MUSK REVEALS INTERNAL TURMOIL OVER AVOIDING AI 'DICTATORSHIP'
A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence “dictatorship” is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing shift into a for-profit company.
TECH TIP: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH ENCRYPTION
After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications.
TRUMP HOSTS APPLE CEO AT MAR-A-LAGO AS BIG TECH LEADERS CONTINUE OUTREACH TO PRESIDENT-ELECT
Donald Trump hosted Apple CEO Tim Cook for a Friday evening dinner at the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago resort, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly.
MUSK SAYS US IS DEMANDING HE PAY PENALTY OVER DISCLOSURES OF HIS TWITTER STOCK PURCHASES
Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed or failed to disclose - about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022.
ELON MUSK WANTS TO TURN SPACEX'S STARBASE SITE INTO A TEXAS CITY
SpaceX is launching a new mission: making its Starbase site a new Texas city.
OPENAI RELEASES AI VIDEO GENERATOR SORA BUT LIMITS HOW IT DEPICTS PEOPLE
OpenAl has publicly released its new artificial intelligence video generator Sora but the company won't let most users depict people as it monitors for patterns of misuse.