A trio of Apple executives will have to testify as part of an antitrust investigation into whether or not Google abuses its position in the search engine industry. As reported by Reuters, Apple’s Eddy Cue, John Giannandrea, and Adrian Perica will all have to testify despite their argument that doing so would be “unduly burdensome.”
Apple is not named as a defendant in the antitrust lawsuit, but its multibillion-dollar deal with Google is one key aspect of the Department of Justice’s case. As we’ve covered in the past, Google pays Apple billions of dollars every year to retain its status as the default search engine on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The Justice Department’s case aims to determine whether Google abuses its position in the search industry and unfairly hinders competition. Despite not being a party in the case, the Justice Department says that Apple’s testimonies “will address central issues in this case.”
Apple argued that there is no need for Cue, Giannandrea, and Perica to testify in the case as the company has already “disclosed more than 125,000 documents from senior executives.” It also criticized the “overbroad” demands it has faced for a case in which it’s not an actual defendant.
Eddy Cue serves as Apple’s senior vice president of services, while John Giannandrea is the company’s senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy. Notably, Gianandrea is also a former Google executive. Before joining Apple, he spent eight years leading Google’s intelligence, research, and search teams.
Adrian Perica is Apple’s vice president of corporate development, tasked with overseeing “the successful integration of vital technologies and new businesses across hardware, software and services.”
According to a filing, Cue’s testimony will focus on Apple’s multi-billion dollar deal with Google, as well as Apple’s engagement with competitors such as Microsoft and DuckDuckGo. Giannandrea will be asked to testify on his time at Google and his “guidance of Apple’s search efforts.”
The deal with Google represents one of the bigger components of Apple’s services revenue, so it’s likely keeping a close eye on this case. The outcome remains to be seen, but we’re likely a ways away from anything coming to fruition.
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