Google CEO Sundar Pichai appeared in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday to provide a defense for the tech giant in what is considered the most significant tech antitrust trial since the Microsoft case of the 1990s.

This marks a pivotal moment in the U.S. government’s multi-week endeavor to establish that Google has unlawfully monopolized the online search market.

Pichai, called as a key witness by Google, began his testimony by narrating his journey from Chennai, India, to Google and his progression to the position of the company’s CEO in 2015, CNN reported.

Dressed in a dark suit, a crisp white shirt, and a gray tie, Pichai detailed how Google’s investments in Chrome, its proprietary web browser, enhanced users’ interactions with popular websites and encouraged more Google searches.

This historical context forms a central part of Google’s defense, asserting that the company’s search dominance is a result of people choosing Google as the superior option, not due to illegal practices aimed at acquiring and maintaining a monopoly.

Written by staff