'People have chosen us': Google CEO Sundar Pichai on recent antitrust ruling

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the search engine giant remains the best in the business and will vigorously contest the ongoing anti-trust ruling

Google's CEO Sundar Pichai said the search engine giant remains the best in the business and will vigorously contest the ongoing anti-trust ruling when asked about the remedies Google has put in place for a potential loss of contracts related to Google Search with other companies like Apple, according to a Times of India report.

Google and Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged that “scrutiny is inevitable,” considering the scale and size of the Google. (AFP)

“People have chosen us because they view it as the best product, be it consumers or partners," the report quoted Pichai as saying. “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.”

However, he didn't give further details of Google's plan of action.

“It's not appropriate for me to speculate given it's in the middle of ongoing litigation," he said. "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.”

However, he did acknowledge that “scrutiny is inevitable,” considering the scale and size of the Google.

“First of all, we plan to vigorously defend these cases," he said, "And some of the early proposals from the DOJ, et cetera, have been far reaching.”

What is Google's antitrust case all about?

US District Judge James Donato issued an injunction against Google on October 7, 2024, ordering it to open up the Play Store, which includes making Android apps available from rival sources.

Donato's order also added that Google cannot prohibit the use of in-app payment methods for the next three years and must also allow users to be able to download other third-party Android app platforms or stores.