Branch Metrics Co-Founder Alexander Austin testified that Google's exclusive contracts with phone manufacturers impeded his company's attempts to market a search engine for apps on smartphones. Austin's company had to limit its product's capabilities to avoid conflicts with Google's lucrative agreements with companies like Samsung and Verizon. The U.S. Department of Justice accuses Google of using such agreements to lock out rival search engines and stifle innovation.
Key takeaways:
- Microsoft met with Apple executives in 2020 to discuss the possibility of selling its search engine Bing, but the talks never progressed further.
- Bing was the default search engine on Apple products from 2013 to 2017, before Google took over.
- Branch Metrics Co-Founder Alexander Austin testified that Google's exclusive contracts with phone companies and manufacturers impeded his company's attempts to market a search engine for apps on smartphones.
- The U.S. Department of Justice accuses Google of using agreements to lock out rival search engines and stifle innovation.