DuckDuckGo CEO Claims Apple Discussed Making It Default Safari Search Engine Before Sticking With Google
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DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg testified Apple was interested in making DuckDuckGo the default search engine for Safari's private browsing mode from 2016-2019.
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Weinberg said he met with Apple executives including Craig Federighi and had several meetings and calls to discuss the proposal.
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Weinberg said Apple requested proposals for how DuckDuckGo could integrate with Apple services like News, Maps, Music and TV.
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Apple exec John Giannandrea wasn't aware of discussions to switch default search engines and had concerns about privacy claims.
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By summer 2019 it was clear Apple would not make DuckDuckGo the default, reportedly due to its lucrative contract with Google.
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