Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai Defends Google Play Policies in Epic Antitrust Battle

Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai is slated to take the stand on Tuesday as he defends Google Play app store policies in a pivotal antitrust battle against Epic Games Inc. The trial, which commenced on November 6 in San Francisco federal court, was initiated by Epic in 2020, alleging that Alphabet's Google engages in anticompetitive practices related to the distribution, payment, and fees within its app store.

Epic, the creator of the immensely popular Fortnite game, is set to interrogate Pichai during the trial, seeking to establish its case against Google. The core contention revolves around Epic's assertion that Google's app market dominance results in anticompetitive behavior, potentially causing significant revenue losses if Google's app store policies are overturned.

Pichai's testimony assumes a critical role as Epic contends that Alphabet misuses its app market influence. His recent appearance in a landmark Washington trial, addressing the US Justice Department's allegations of anti-competitive practices in Google's search business, further underscores the company's legal challenges.

Epic's legal team is expected to probe Pichai on various aspects, including Google Play and Android operations, the company's agreements with developers and phone manufacturers, and its relationship with Apple. A court filing from last month indicates that the questioning could span up to an hour.

In response, Google's legal representatives plan to question Pichai for 30 minutes, focusing on justifying Google Play policies and business practices as tools that promote healthy competition. Additionally, they will address Google's counterclaims, asserting that Epic breached its contract and acted in bad faith by attempting to establish its own app store, bypassing the Google Play billing system.

The trial, scheduled to continue until early December, is expected to feature testimony from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. The case, officially titled In Re Google Play Store Antitrust Litigation, is filed under 21-md-02981 in the US District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).