- Court documents reveal that Google paid Apple a staggering $22 billion in 2022 for the default search engine status on Safari browsers.
- The payment came to light during Google’s antitrust dispute with the United States Department of Justice, with the deal between Google and Apple under scrutiny.
- If Google loses the lawsuit, the agreement between Google and Apple could be dissolved, potentially impacting the default search engine on Apple devices.
Recent court documents unveiled a staggering revelation: Google paid Apple a massive $22 billion in 2022 to maintain its position as the default search engine on Safari browsers across iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. This disclosure came amidst Google’s ongoing antitrust dispute with the United States Department of Justice, shedding light on the intricacies of the deal between the two tech giants. The agreement has long been a focal point in the lawsuit, with the DoJ accusing Google of monopolizing the search engine market.
The disclosed payment underscores the substantial financial stakes involved in securing default search engine status on Apple devices. Despite the hefty sum, users have the option to switch to alternative search engines like Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia. However, Google’s dominance remains evident, with the search engine retaining its default status in most countries. Nevertheless, the outcome of the antitrust lawsuit could potentially disrupt this longstanding arrangement, impacting the user experience on Apple devices and reshaping the dynamics of the search engine market.
