Google Risks Attack Over Deleted Chats in Search Monopoly Trial

Evidence of self-destructing company chats stands to play a central role in the US Justice Department’s blockbuster antitrust showdown with Alphabet Inc.‘s Google.

The DOJ, a cadre of states, and the search giant go to trial Tuesday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, in a case that will have far-reaching consequences for the internet search ecosystem. The lawsuit, involving allegations Google used restrictive contracts to secure its place as the default search engine on devices and in browsers, is the most high-stakes antitrust courtroom battle involving Big Tech since government enforcers took on Microsoft Corp. ...