This is the Google on Trial podcast.
Here is an update on the United States v. Google trial for September 20-22, 2023,
The second week of testimony began on September 19th with Kent Walker, the company's senior vice president of global affairs, testifying that Google does not engage in anticompetitive behavior and that the company's dominance in the online advertising market is the result of "innovation and merit."
On September 20th, Google called economists Hal Varian and Paul Milgrom to testify on its behalf. Varian and Milgrom argued that Google's dominance in the online advertising market is beneficial to consumers because it leads to lower prices and higher quality products.
On September 21st, the government called economists Carl Shapiro and Fiona Scott Morton to testify on its behalf. Shapiro and Morton argued that Google's dominance in the online advertising market is harmful to consumers because it leads to higher prices and lower quality products.
On September 22nd, Google called Sundar Pichai, the company's CEO, to testify on its behalf. Pichai testified that Google's dominance in the online advertising market is the result of "innovation and merit," and that the company does not engage in anticompetitive behavior.
The trial is expected to last for several weeks. It is unclear when the jury will begin deliberations.
The economists who testified on behalf of Google and the government presented conflicting views on the impact of Google's dominance on the online advertising market. Google's economists argued that Google's dominance is beneficial to consumers, while the government's economists argued that it is harmful.
Pichai's testimony was closely watched by both sides, as he is the most senior Google executive to testify in the trial. Pichai's testimony was generally seen as favorable to Google, but the government's lawyers were able to cross-examine him on a number of points.
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The trial is still in its early stages, and it is unclear how the jury will rule. However, the testimony that has been presented so far suggests that the government has a strong case against Google.