Google said it would have to spend over $100,000 and up to 500 hours to be able to fulfill the DoL's request. That's such a small amount for a tech titan that Ian Eliasoph, one of the agency's lawyers, pointed out that the company has a $28 billion annual income. "Google would be able to absorb the cost as easy as a dry kitchen sponge could absorb a single drop of water," he said. He also mentioned that the company has funds dedicated to improving diversity and that Google shouldn't be immune to anti-discrimination investigations just because it's "too big to comply."

The big G's lawyers argued, however, that Mountain View has already spent $500,000 and 2,300 hours of manpower to be able to comply to the agency's demands. They called those demands too "broad and unconstitutional," since giving the department the company's salary info would violate employees' privacy. A Google spokesperson told Recode that the requests "include thousands of employees' private contact information which we safeguard rigorously." The lawyers also said they violate fourth amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure.

Clearly, the two parties have a long talk ahead to be able to see eye to eye. Google is adamant, however, that there's no gender pay gap within its walls. Here's the tech giant's full statement: