Perplexity AI Testifies in Google Antitrust Trial, Advocates Consumer Choice

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Google are facing off in court after a judge ruled last year that Google unlawfully maintained its dominance in the online search market. The DOJ is seeking sweeping remedies, including forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser, ending exclusive default search agreements with device makers like Apple, and imposing restrictions on Google's use of search data and AI. According to DOJ attorney David Dahlquist, these measures are necessary to break what he described as Google’s 'vicious cycle' of default search deals and data collection that reinforce its monopoly. Tech companies like DuckDuckGo, Bing, Yahoo, OpenAI, and Perplexity have been called to testify, with Perplexity's CEO arguing that breaking up Google and divesting Chrome is not the right solution and instead advocating for greater consumer choice in default apps. The DOJ contends that Google’s exclusive contracts have made it extremely difficult for competitors to gain traction and that only significant intervention will restore fair competition. The case is seen as one of the most significant antitrust challenges to a major U.S. tech company since Microsoft’s monopoly trial 25 years ago.