A Microsoft executive testified on Thursday that Google’s deals with smartphone makers and other partners have kept Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, from growing.
Jonathan Tinter, a Microsoft vice president, said that Bing has struggled to win default status on smartphones sold in the United States, even though Microsoft has offered to give partners more than 100% of the revenue from Bing search ads.
“We were just big enough to play but not big enough to win,” Tinter said.
Tinter’s testimony came as part of the US Justice Department’s antitrust trial against Google. The DOJ is accusing Google of abusing its dominance in the search market by paying billions of dollars to keep its search engine the default on smartphones and other devices.
Google has denied the allegations, saying that its deals with partners are fair and that consumers benefit from having a choice of search engines.
What does this mean for you?
If you’re a consumer, it means that you may have fewer choices when it comes to search engines. Google is currently the dominant search engine, with a market share of over 90%. If Google is able to maintain its dominance, it could make it harder for new and innovative search engines to compete.
It also means that you may be paying more for search ads. Google is the largest player in the online advertising market, and its dominance gives it a lot of power to set prices. If Google is able to maintain its dominance, it could lead to higher prices for search ads for businesses and consumers alike.
