Apple executives Eddy Cue, John Giannandrea, and Adrian Perica will testify in an antitrust investigation into Google's alleged abuse of its search engine dominance, despite Apple's argument that it would be burdensome; Apple's multi-billion dollar deal with Google is a key aspect of the case.
Google is facing a historic legal battle against the U.S. government in a generational antitrust case that questions the company's dominance in internet search and its contracts with device makers, including a lucrative deal with Apple.
Google maintains a dominant position in the global search engine market with a 90.7% market share, while its competitors like Bing and Yahoo lag far behind, according to data from Similarweb. However, Google is currently facing a civil antitrust lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department for alleged anticompetitive practices. Bing, despite its AI-powered version, has not made significant progress in challenging Google's dominance.
The Justice Department's antitrust trial against Google began with claims that the company pursued agreements to be the default search engine on mobile devices, while Google argued that its search engine's quality was the primary reason for such agreements.
Google allegedly paid billions of dollars to key companies to maintain its search engine as the default on computers and mobile devices, making it difficult for smaller rival DuckDuckGo to grow its market share, according to testimony by DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg at a trial investigating alleged antitrust violations by Google.
DuckDuckGo founder Gabriel Weinberg testified in an antitrust trial, stating that Google's default search engine status on many devices creates a barrier for small search engine companies to compete.
Apple's latest iPhone software update, iOS 17, now allows users to select a search engine other than Google's when browsing in private mode, addressing the issue of difficulty in switching search engines that has been at the center of the US government's antitrust suit against Google.
The Department of Justice has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging that the company's billion-dollar deals to be the default search engine on smartphones have created a monopoly, and if the trial is successful, Google may be forced to break up its various businesses.
Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue is expected to testify in court that Apple chose Google as the default search engine on the iPhone because it was the best product and that Apple has revenue-sharing agreements with other search engines, shedding light on Google's licensing agreements and the accusation of monopolizing online search.
Microsoft's Bing search engine has always been just a bargaining chip for Apple in its search-engine wars with Google, according to a Microsoft executive, who also revealed that Microsoft has been trying for years to convince Apple to switch to Bing as the default search engine for iPhones.
Apple is planning to integrate its internal search engine, "Pegasus," more deeply into iOS and macOS, potentially utilizing generative AI tools to enhance its capabilities, as the company looks to compete with Google and strengthen its App Store ads business.
Apple has the ability to create its own search engine, potentially rivaling the revenue from the Apple Watch market, due to its existing search engine capabilities in services such as the App Store, Maps, Apple TV, and News.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified in Google's antitrust trial, stating that Microsoft and its search engine Bing cannot compete with Google due to the default search engine deals Google has made with partners like Apple and Samsung, creating a "vicious cycle" for Microsoft.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified that Apple's selection of its default search engine holds significant influence, revealing that Microsoft was willing to obscure its search engine brand to unseat Google as Apple's default search engine.
Apple has turned down opportunities to challenge Google's search engine dominance, including the chance to purchase Bing and make DuckDuckGo the default for Safari's private browsing mode, according to court transcripts unsealed in the US government's antitrust lawsuit against Google.
Apple considered replacing Google with DuckDuckGo as its default search engine in private browsing mode, according to recent testimony by DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg in the Department of Justice's antitrust case against Google.
Apple may have to push harder into artificial intelligence (AI) development to keep up with Google, who is rolling out new devices and advancing AI connections, potentially pulling users away from Apple; however, Apple is already heavily into AI development and is likely to advance at a similar pace as Google.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai expressed concerns about the optics of Google's deal with Apple, which made Google the pre-selected search option on Apple's Safari browser, according to emails introduced as evidence in the Justice Department's antitrust case against Google.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai expressed concerns about the lack of choice in Apple's pre-selected search option on the Safari browser, according to emails introduced as evidence in the Justice Department's antitrust case against Google.
Google has been concerned about Apple's potential expansion into internet search, and has been working on strategies to prevent it, including developing its own version of Apple's search tool and leveraging a European law to undermine Apple's control over the iPhone.
Google executives explored using EU law to undermine Apple's power and reduce the payment they make to Apple to maintain their default search engine status on Apple devices, as part of an antitrust case brought against Google by the Department of Justice.
Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure default search engine status across multiple browsers, phones, and platforms, revealing the significant power of defaults in the US v. Google antitrust trial.
Google paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status and acquire traffic, with a significant portion going to Apple, according to testimony by Google's Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan in the ongoing antitrust suit.
Google paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to be the default search engine across various platforms and devices, revealing the importance of default settings for the company.
