Google CEO suggests antitrust trials far from concluding in courts

Google CEO Sundar Pichai suggested it would take several years for the antitrust trials against the company to conclude. He may have implied that these court cases don’t threaten the company’s immediate future and business prospects.

Google CEO confident antitrust trials will take several years

Google is in the midst of two antitrust trials. These are major legal battles concerning the company’s burgeoning empire and its business practices. Both cases, brought by the US Justice Department, allege the tech giant illegally dominates the digital advertising market and online search.

The antitrust case concerning Google Search has been going on for a few years now. The other antitrust case against Google involves the digital advertising market, which started recently. The US DOJ has alleged Google AdX dominates the market. This puts its competitors at a huge disadvantage.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has reportedly suggested that these cases are far from concluding. During an interview for an upcoming episode of The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations, Pichai said, “It’s going to take time for it to play out.”

Google suffered a setback in August this year when Judge Amit Mehta ruled against the company. The Judge essentially concluded that Google Search is a dominant player that stifles competition.

Judge Mehta even indicated that Google’s competition has to toe the company’s line, and hence, ad prices don’t follow free market principles. As expected, Pichai has a contradicting opinion. “We definitely disagree with the ruling, but it’s still in the middle of the remedies phase,” he said.

Why is Pichai confident about the antitrust cases dragging on?

Apart from the cases against Google, brought on by the US DOJ, the search giant is also battling similar legal battles in other countries. The company even offered some remedial solutions but these were allegedly turned down.

Google would appeal every decision the courts take against the company, indicated Pichai. “And you know, we will appeal and this process will likely take many years,” Pichai mentioned.

Google would try multiple legal techniques and arguments to refute the allegations. While Google’s legal teams fight and appeal in the courts, the company is working quickly to develop a strong position in Artificial Intelligence, Pichai reportedly mentioned.

Pichai seems confident about the antitrust cases dragging on for several years. However, the US DOJ and several other regulators seem relentless. If Google loses, the company may have to break itself into smaller entities.