Apple, a company known for its secretive work culture, is upset that details of its behind-the-scenes deals with Google are becoming public information via United States against Google, the Justice Department’s landmark antitrust case against the tech giant.
Much of the government’s argument revolves around payments Google made to Apple and other companies to make its search engine the default on phones and web browsers. In 2022, Google’s annual payments to Apple were estimated to be $20 billion.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai (Associated Press)
To prevent further details from being disclosed, Apple’s lawyers are protesting the disclosure of confidential business information.
THE Washington Post reported remarks Apple’s lawyers made in court and US District Judge Amit Mehta’s response:
Significant parts of the trial evidence have been sealed as trade secrets, despite activists calling for greater transparency in a trial that could affect the way billions of people interact with the Internet. The court set up a public phone line for Tuesday’s opening statements, but the rest of the months-long trial, including Wednesday’s hearing, will only be accessible in person.
Mehta acknowledged Apple’s protest, but said he would leave the topic for now.
“From where I sit, everyone has been very diligent,” Mehta said. “There is a large volume of material here.”
United States against Google This is perhaps the most significant antitrust lawsuit filed by the government since the lawsuit against Microsoft at the turn of the millennium.
The stakes are high for Google if it loses at trial. Potential sanctions range from restrictions on its ability to strike deals with other tech companies to bolster its research monopoly, to a complete breakup of the company.
The case is United States against Google, 1:20-cv-03010 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent for Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election. Follow him on Twitter @AllumBokhari.
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