We already know that Google pays Apple billions of dollars annually to have Safari on Macs, iPads, and iPhones set as its default search engine. But how much exactly Google pays, what conditions are attached to that money, and what would happen if it stopped? These are some of the questions that have been raised repeatedly in the ongoing US v. Google trial, most of which have been reserved for a closed courtroom.
New York Times
A precise amount is provided by a New York Times story. Which states that Google gave Apple “around $18 billion” in 2021. This figure isn’t entirely startling because during the trial. We’ve heard expert predictions and rumours ranging from $10 billion to $20 billion. However, it exceeds all expectations. This money has prevented Apple from creating its own search engine in the past. In addition to giving Google top placement on Apple products. During the trial. John Giannandrea, a former Google executive who now oversees machine learning and artificial intelligence at Apple, testified that the company had examined everything from purchasing Bing to creating its own search engine but was concerned about going up against Google and losing its contract.
Microsoft CEO
In his testimony, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella offered an additional justification for Apple to maintain the Google agreement. If it ended, Google may cause problems. Google may divert users from Safari and possibly undermine Apple’s agreement with any other search engine by promoting Chrome and the Google app through its wildly popular products, such as Gmail, Maps, and YouTube. In that regard, the Google/Apple agreement may have acted as a peace treaty in addition to being advantageous to both parties.
The Times piece claims that Nadella was correct. Apparently seeking to undercut Apple’s Spotlight feature, which was enhanced in recent years, Google integrated a feature into Chrome that “presented users with quick facts and information from files, messages, and apps on the device.” Google started investigating ways to leverage the recently enacted EU competition legislation to encourage even more users to migrate to Chrome.
Apple’s Deal with Google
In the US v. Google trial, the conditions and outcomes of Apple’s agreement with Google are now the main focus. Witness after witness has testified that any search engine that could obtain Apple’s enormous market share would become a major participant right away. Supporting the Justice Department’s claim that it amounts to an anticompetitive monopoly.
The trial for Google will start on Thursday, and over the following three weeks, the company’s lawyers will present their case. Up until now, the main argument has been that Google is the greatest search engine, not because it drives out competitors. Google claims that switching is simple, but it reportedly pays $18 billion annually to ensure that users don’t.