Alphabet CEO Pichai Faces Scrutiny Over Record-Keeping at Google Play Trial

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai testified in federal court to defend Google against antitrust claims by Epic Games, accusing the company of using illegal tactics to maintain dominance in the mobile-app distribution marketplace. Pichai argued that Google has acted appropriately in the face of competition from giants like Apple and Samsung, and any harms to consumers are outweighed by the benefits Google has provided. Epic's lawyers tried to show that Google has prevented rival app stores from cutting into its profit through revenue-share agreements and deals with app developers. Pichai confirmed that Google gives Apple a 36% share of advertising revenue from searches in the Safari browser. The trial could potentially impact Google's revenue if it is forced to open the door for payment and app distribution methods outside its own app store.