Google Says It’s No. 1 Search Tool Because Users Prefer It to Rivals
- US alleges Google spends billions to maintain search monopoly
- Opening statements begin 10-week trial over alleged violations
This first phase of the trial will assess whether Google has illegally monopolized the online search market.
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Companies choose Alphabet Inc.’s Google as the default search engine for their browsers and smartphones because it is the best one, and not because of a lack of competition, a Google lawyer said Tuesday at the start of a high-stakes antitrust trial in Washington.
Consumers use Google “because it delivers value to them, not because they have to,” John Schmidtlein, a partner at Williams & Connolly LLP who is representing the company, said during his opening statements on the first day of the trial. “Users today have more search options and ways to access information online than ever before.”