Google CEO on antitrust concerns: being big has its benefits



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"We have gone through similar situations in Europe, so it's not a surprise for us," Pichai said in a broad interview with CNN Business's Poppy Harlow, marking her first in-depth comments since the news reports polls Federal and Congress in recent weeks. in the market dominance of Google and many of its peers. "For some of the other companies, the exam may be newer."

At the same time, the House Judiciary Committee is launching an "all-round" antitrust investigation on the technology industry, including these four companies, to consider their impact on local journalism, privacy and the competitive landscape of startups.
It's a difficult but familiar position for Google. Over the past decade, regulators of the European Union have launched antitrust investigations on the advertising activity related to Google's online search, platform purchase and dominance of Android, resulting in a $ 3 billion fine against the company. . The FTC also opened an antitrust investigation on Google, a case that was finally closed in 2013, which was considered a clear win for Google.

This review has forced Google to rethink its strategies, including potential acquisitions. Pichai told CNN Business "there have been times" that Google has considered an acquisition and determined that this might not be possible due to concerns about "too much concentration in one area".

Pichai said it was "perfectly acceptable" for companies such as Google to be reviewed when they become big enough. "The control is correct and we will participate constructively in these discussions," he said.

But he also stressed that "the scale offers many benefits". Pichai noted that it's the size of Google that allows it to invest in future technologies in five to ten years without worrying about "short-term profits". Perhaps for this reason, he said, it is the largest technology companies that are investing heavily in areas such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

Tech's antitrust problem has been around for years
Pichai also referred to a similar note to Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook, who suggested that the dismantling of US technology companies could benefit Chinese companies. Pichai, for its part, did not specifically name China.

"Many countries around the world aspire to become the next Silicon Valley and also support their businesses, so we need to balance both," he said. "It does not mean you're not watching big companies, but you also have to balance the fact that you want big, successful companies as well."

Even before the latest round of antitrust investigations, there were calls to dismantle some technology companies, including Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and Senator Democatic and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren in 2020. .

In an aggressive plan released in March, Warren announced that it would appoint regulators to "cancel anti-competitive mergers", including Google's purchases of Waze, Nest and DoubleClick, an online advertising company acquired in 2007.

"I think it takes a healthy debate," Pichai said of Senator Warren's rhetoric. "Every campaign has moments around it, but what matters to me is the healthy and thoughtful conversations that surround it."

Pichai also raised concerns about the negative consequences of the regulation of the technology sector.

"I'm afraid if you regulate for the sole purpose of regulating it, it will have many unintended consequences," he said, focusing on the issue of artificial intelligence in particular. "This will have implications for our national security and … for other important sectors of society.Head leadership eventually becomes truly essential."

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