DOJ Seeks Perplexity Executive’s Testimony in Google Antitrust Case
In the ongoing legal battle between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Google over its alleged search monopoly, the DOJ has filed a request to call Dmitry Shevelenko, chief business officer of Perplexity, a rapidly growing AI search platform valued at $9 billion. The DOJ aims to gather insights on how generative AI tools like Perplexity and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search may challenge traditional search engines like Google, and how Google’s dominance in the search space impacts competition and innovation.
A U.S. court ruled in August that Google holds a monopoly in the search market. While Google is appealing the decision, the DOJ is now exploring potential penalties, including the possibility of forcing Google to divest parts of its business, such as Chrome. As part of this process, the DOJ wants to question Shevelenko about how generative AI interacts with “Search Access Points”—places like Google Chrome where users access the web to search for information—and other topics such as barriers to entry, data sharing, and the overall competitive landscape in search.
The DOJ’s interest in Perplexity highlights how generative AI is emerging as a viable alternative to traditional search engines. Unlike Google, which offers AI-generated answers through tools like AI Overviews, AI-driven search platforms such as Perplexity provide direct responses to queries, although they sometimes face challenges with inaccurate or fabricated information.
The DOJ’s case is centered around the idea that Google’s dominance has stifled competition, potentially justifying harsher penalties. To build its case, the DOJ is looking for testimony from industry players like Perplexity to better understand how Google’s actions may be preventing the growth of alternative search options.
Meanwhile, Perplexity finds itself in the middle of this high-stakes dispute. While the DOJ seeks its input to strengthen its position against Google, Google also subpoenaed Perplexity in October, requesting company documents to support its own argument that competition in search is viable. However, Perplexity has yet to fully comply, with Google stating in a recent court filing that the company has not provided any documents after two months of waiting. Perplexity counters that it has agreed to provide most of the requested materials but is still assessing the scope and burden of the remaining requests.
The ongoing legal tension between the DOJ, Google, and Perplexity underscores the shifting dynamics in the search market, as AI-driven tools gain traction and potentially challenge Google’s
In the ongoing legal battle between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Google over its alleged search monopoly, the DOJ has filed a request to call Dmitry Shevelenko, chief business officer of Perplexity, a rapidly growing AI search platform valued at $9 billion. The DOJ aims to gather insights on how generative AI tools…