Microsoft executive says Google deals kept Bing small

WASHINGTON – A Microsoft executive testified on Thursday during the trial of the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust case against Alphabet’s Google, revealing that Apple and other smartphone makers refused revenue sharing agreements that would have benefited Microsoft’s Bing search engine. The decision to reject these agreements helped to maintain Google’s dominant position as the default search engine on those devices.

Jonathan Tinter, a Microsoft vice president in charge of Bing’s growth, explained that Bing has struggled to secure default status on smartphones sold in the United States. This lack of default status has resulted in poorer quality search for Bing users. Tinter further revealed that Bing has never been the default search engine on any Android or Apple smartphone sold in the U.S. over the past decade, despite Microsoft offering to provide its partners with more than 100% of the revenue generated.

“We were just big enough to play but not big enough to win,” Tinter stated, emphasizing the challenges that Bing faced in competing with Google as the default search engine.

The U.S. Justice Department has accused Google of paying $10 billion per year to wireless carriers and smartphone manufacturers to secure its position as the default search engine on their devices. The department argues that Google has exploited its search monopoly and certain aspects of search advertising.

During his testimony, Tinter supported the government’s claims, affirming that Google’s payments to maintain its default status on smartphones have hindered Bing’s chances of gaining market share. This has allowed Google to maintain its monopoly over search.

The antitrust trial against Google seeks to investigate and address potential anticompetitive practices within the tech giant’s search and advertising businesses. The Justice Department aims to provide a fair and competitive market environment by challenging Google’s dominant position in the industry.

The trial continues as the government presents its case against Google, highlighting the alleged antitrust violations committed by the company. Microsoft’s testimony sheds light on the struggles faced by competing companies like Bing and the potential consequences of Google’s dominant market position.

Reporting by Diane Bartz

Editing by Jonathan Oatis