'Unprecedented' secrecy in Google trial as tech giants push to limit disclosures

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Google argued that it needed its privacy in an antitrust trial that would spotlight its dominance in online search.

«Once commercially sensitive information is disclosed in open court, the resulting harm to the party's competitive standing cannot be undone,» the internet giant wrote to the judge presiding over the case.

Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill Courses

It was part of a pattern of Google's pushing to limit transparency in the federal government's first monopoly trial of the modern internet era. Before opening statements began Sept. 12, Google filed 35 motions and responses in the case — nearly two-thirds of them sealed, according to a tally by The New York Times.

Now as the case, U.S. et al. v. Google, enters its third week in court, it is shaping up to be perhaps the most secretive antitrust trial of the past few decades. Not only has Google argued for the landmark trial to be largely closed off to the public, but so have other companies that are involved, such as Apple and Microsoft. Apple even fought to quash subpoenas, describing them as «unduly burdensome,» to get its executives out of giving testimony.

The upshot is that last week, more than half of the testimony in the trial was given behind closed doors, according to one analysis.

The secrecy has angered legal and antitrust experts. In addition, Digital Context Next, a trade group and Google critic that