Why Apple doesn't want to build a search engine
The US antitrust proceedings against Google are also about Apple's lucrative search deal. Head of Services Eddy Cue has now commented on this in court.
Apple and Google: partners and competitors, also in the search business.
(Image: dpa, dpa)
Apple has intervened in the ongoing antitrust proceedings brought by the US Department of Justice and individual US states against Google. The company's lawyers drafted a so-called Motion to Intervene, a declaration in which Apple's Head of Services Eddy Cue provides more details on the multi-billion dollar search deal between Google and the iPhone manufacturer. Among other things, it states that Apple does not see itself in competition with Google in the search business because the company is not planning to launch its own search engine for various reasons.
20 billion US dollars from Google in one year
Among other things, the declaration confirms that Apple received "around 20 billion US dollars" in 2022 for placing Google as the default search engine on Apple devices in the Safari browser. As part of the antitrust proceedings, the plaintiffs now want Apple to receive no share of Google's advertising revenue in Safari for the next ten years – and also a ban on Apple and Google concluding further deals, for example in the field of artificial intelligence.
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Cue is opposed to this. Among other things, he says that it is out of the question for Apple to invest "billions of dollars" in building its own search engine. The process could also take years and divert employees and investments from other growth areas. In addition, advertising is not a core business for Apple and this is the only way a profitable search business would be possible. Such advertising marketing also goes against Apple's "long-standing promise to protect privacy", according to Cue. The company also lacks the necessary employees and infrastructure for a search engine. Cue's conclusion: Apple's only concern when working with other companies is to offer users the best. And according to Apple's view, this is exactly what Google apparently does as a search partner.
"Two unacceptable options"
"If the court prohibits Google from sharing revenue from the distribution of search results [with us], Apple would have only two unacceptable options: It could still allow users in the United States to choose Google as their search engine for Safari, but Apple could receive no share of the resulting revenue, giving Google valuable access to Apple's users for free," Cue writes. "Or Apple could remove Google search as a choice in Safari. But since customers prefer Google, removing Google search as an option would hurt both Apple and its customers."
Apple now hopes that Cue's testimony will help the court to find "a fair solution". The company has also declared its willingness to continue to participate in the proceedings as part of the court's schedule. Observers expect that the proceedings –, including the appeal –, could continue for years. It also deals with various other areas of Google's business.
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