Google Pays Apple Over $10 Billion a Year to Remain Safari's Default Search Engine, The Most Lucrative Tech Deal

Google pays Apple over $10 billion per year to remain the default search engine in Safari, making it the most lucrative tech contract.

Being the default Safari search provides Google with a massive amount of user data to improve its algorithms. Competitors desperately want access to it.

Apple has considered changing defaults or building its own search, but the revenue from Google and its superior product have prevented this so far.

Google wants to remain the exclusive option in Safari to get more searches, even though it knows defaults strongly influence choice.

If the Apple deal changes due to the trial, the search market could look very different, with more competition and innovation.