Google CEO defends paying Apple and others to make Google the default search engine on devices

By PAUL WISEMAN
AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Google CEO Sundar Pichai has finally taken the stand in the biggest U.S. antitrust case in a quarter century. On Monday, he defended his company for paying Apple and others to make Google the default search engine on their devices. Pichai says Google simply wants to make the user experience  “seamless and easy.’’ But the Department of Justice says paying tech companies to lock out rival search engines smothers competition and innovation. Google’s payments came to more than $26 billion in 2021. The company says it dominates the market simply by offering the best product.