Google Appeals Antitrust Ruling, Defends Apple Search Deal
Google defends its Safari deal with Apple in antitrust ruling appeal

Image: 9to5 Mac
Google is appealing an antitrust ruling that found it maintained monopolies in search and advertising. The company argues its deal with Apple, which made Google the default search engine in Safari, is lawful competition. Google claims the agreement benefits users and is not exclusionary, despite the court imposing new limits on the arrangement.
- 01In 2022, Google paid Apple approximately $20 billion for its search agreement.
- 02The court found Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act by maintaining monopolies.
- 03Judge Amit Mehta imposed a 12-month limit on Google's default search engine agreements with Apple.
- 04Google argues that its deal with Apple reflects lawful competition rather than anticompetitive practices.
- 05Apple's decision to choose Google was based on its superior search engine quality, according to Apple executives.
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Google is appealing a recent antitrust ruling that deemed it a monopolist in search and advertising, following a case won by the U.S. Department of Justice in August 2024. The court ruled that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act by illegally maintaining monopolies. Central to the case was Google's agreement with Apple, which set Google as the default search engine in Apple's Safari browser across devices like iPhones and iPads. This deal reportedly earned Apple around $20 billion in 2022. Although the court allowed Google to continue paying Apple for this placement, it imposed new restrictions, including a 12-month limit on default agreements and prohibiting exclusivity. In its appeal, Google contends that the district court erred by viewing its agreements as exclusionary and argues that the arrangement with Apple is a result of lawful competition, highlighting user preference for Google over rivals like Bing. Google asserts that Apple's choice was based on the quality of its search engine, which Apple executives deemed a “no brainer.”
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The outcome of this appeal could significantly affect how tech companies negotiate default search agreements and competition in the search engine market.
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