Google parent Alphabet paid Apple $20 billion in 2022 to be Safari’s default search engine: Report

The information about Alphabet’s lucrative payments to Apple was discovered during the U.S antitrust trial looking into Google’s dominance in the search and advertising sectors, reported Bloomberg

The antitrust proceedings aim to establish whether Google abused its position to dominate the market [File] | Photo Credit: AP

Google parent Alphabet paid $20 billion to Apple so that Google could be the Safari browser’s default search engine, reported Bloomberg, citing unsealed court documents from the U.S. government’s Justice Department lawsuit against the internet giant.

The antitrust proceedings aim to establish whether Google abused its position to dominate the market and cull competition in the search engine and advertising sector.

A major part of the case hinges on Google’s relationship with luxury iPhone-maker Apple and how much money Google pays in order to secure its position as the default search engine on Apple’s Safari browser.

In 2020, Google payments to Apple made up 17.5% of Apple’s operating income, reported Bloomberg, adding that Microsoft had tried to make an offer to Apple in order to get Bing made the default in Safari.

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In October last year, Google CEO Sundar Pichai gave his testimony and defended Google as the best service available for both providers and users.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who testified earlier, claimed that Google had a strong hold on customers and that it was the result of business agreements.