On Thursday, Prabhakar Raghavan, Google's senior vice president in charge of products such as search, ads, and commerce, testified that younger users characterize Google's search engine as "Grandpa Google" as the company defends itself from accusations of antitrust law violations to keep its online search monopoly. His comment highlighted an important message of his testimony: Google is aware of the risks to its privileged status, and its innovation is what allows it to keep its market share.
Prabhakar Raghavan, a Google senior vice president responsible for products including search, ads and commerce, testified Thursday that young users have mockingly labeled the search engine "Grandpa Google". He commented that while the search engine may be suitable for mundane questions, it is not the desired platform for more intriguing questions. This remark came during Google's defense to claims by the Department of Justice and a coalition of state attorneys general that the company had engaged in antitrust violations to hold onto its search engine monopoly. Raghavan stated that Google's success has been due to its continuous innovation and improvements in search, such as allowing direct answers to queries, understanding voice searches, and allowing users to search through photos. Additionally, he noted that due to the proliferation of smartphones, users are seeking out other apps to book flights and amenities. He highlighted that Google must stay relevant to remain successful and must continue to compete with specialized vertical search engines like Yelp and Expedia, as well as with commercial search engines such as Amazon.
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