Google Basically Pays Apple to Stay Out of the Search Engine Business, Class Action Lawsuit Alleges

[cosmichobo]

The vast majority of users never upgrade their computer. Over 90% of the machines Apple sells are the base model configurations. Upgradability is not a user for most.

Yep - and that's my point.

Most people will buy an iPhone, and set it up with their basics, but never look at things like whether or not it uses Google.

Sure, people on a site like this - may change it. May not.

But your average person is not changing from Google.

 

[wanha]

No. Google is blocking Apple through money to let them compete against them. Imagine paying another carpenter in your city yearly for not working so you can have the entire market for yourself and charge whatever you want. Its gross capitalism and it needs to be stopped.

I'm struggling with the logic here.

You say they're like one plumber paying another to have the market to themselves.

But they're not two carpenters competing for the same market.

They're more like a carpenter paying a plumber money for services the plumber does for the carpenter.

The carpenter doesn't want to expand into plumbing and vice versa.

In plain English: I'm pretty sure Apple doesn't want to build a search engine, so this works well - to be paid for what you don't want to do anyway, while still giving users choice.

 

[xnu]

I may be the only one, but search on the Mac stinks... I don't want anymore of the crap. Anyone remember Sherlock? good times, good times.

 

[SFjohn]

Apple lets you choose whatever search engine you like. I don’t think you can damn them for using the most popular one as a default. Since Google pays Apple so much to feature it, good for Apple, it helps subsidize other Apple services & products, keeping price points from rising for customers. It’s good for the stock price as well. Years ago DDG was unusable, today it’s my full time search engine.

 

[ironpony]

Has Apple maps caught up to google maps? I know apples/oranges.

 

[SFjohn]

Has Apple maps caught up to google maps? I know apples/oranges.

I think it depends on the user, area & county. I live in SF CA and Apple Maps is all I use. It’s as good as Google Maps, and I prefer Apple in general. Apple Maps always gets me to where I want to go, walking, driving, transit, it all just works.

 

[yabeweb]

The price of using a search engine has stayed the same for about 25 years, which is $0.

Unless you want search engines to pay consumers (which I believe Bing did) there is no way to get it cheaper.

Missing the point I guess…..the example was the carpenter…

but hey sure, data is free…..

 

[Macintosh TV]

Yep - and that's my point.

Most people will buy an iPhone, and set it up with their basics, but never look at things like whether or not it uses Google.

Sure, people on a site like this - may change it. May not.

But your average person is not changing from Google.

Totally. Which is why they pay to be the default. Most folks will never change it. I'd bet most don't even know they CAN change it.

 

[Marshall73]

No. we pay as users, financially in the purchase price of an iphone, app costs, icloud and through a lack of innovation,

No, we pay for a product we want because of what it is. If you are paying for something you don't want then you should move on, maybe try Android.

 

[5232152]

I'm struggling with the logic here.

You say they're like one plumber paying another to have the market to themselves.

But they're not two carpenters competing for the same market.

They're more like a carpenter paying a plumber money for services the plumber does for the carpenter.

The carpenter doesn't want to expand into plumbing and vice versa.

In plain English: I'm pretty sure Apple doesn't want to build a search engine, so this works well - to be paid for what you don't want to do anyway, while still giving users choice.

Speculation Over an Apple Search Engine Resurfaces, But Apple Likely Remains Focused on Siri and Spotlight

Goodbye Google Search? Apple ramping up efforts to make custom search engine

Analyst Argues Apple Should Acquire DuckDuckGo Search Engine

I could keep going, but you are getting the point that the analogic and logic are pretty accurate I hope. Cheers

 

[SFjohn]

Has Apple maps caught up to google maps? I know apples/oranges.

I haven’t used Google Maps in many years. Apple Maps gets me where I want to go on time. However Apple Maps isn’t for everyone everywhere yet, neither is Google Maps, people use both, and other navigation systems/maps as well. Use what works for you.

 

[maxoakland]

So Apple is now accused of antitrust violations for NOT developing a search engine, and NOT forcing people to use a particular search engine? Just making google the default, which can easily be changed? Is there anything in this day in age that is not considered antitrust from a large company?

Is anything considered antitrust? I don’t see the government breaking up these mega corporations that would’ve been broken up in the 80s. And that’s bad for everyone

 

[senttoschool]

Analyst Argues Apple Should Acquire DuckDuckGo Search Engine

This is stupid. Acquire a company that still sells ads despite branding themselves as "privacy-friendly" and they just use Microsoft's Bing as the backend?

 

[5232152]

This is stupid. Acquire a company that still sells ads despite branding themselves as "privacy-friendly" and they just use Microsoft's Bing as the backend?

I encourage you to check up on DDG, before you are mad at them. They never said they were not going to sell ads, but unlike Google they do not cross-track your searches. So searching for "Divorce" and then "Courtroom" will not link your ID to those two searches, but be seen as two individual ones. THAT is how you are privacy-friendly and make sure your business stays financially afloat. Don't know how you expected them to exist without income.

 

[senttoschool]

I encourage you to check up on DDG, before you are mad at them. They never said they were not going to sell ads, but unlike Google they do not cross-track your searches. So searching for "Divorce" and then "Courtroom" will not link your ID to those two searches, but be seen as two individual ones. THAT is how you are privacy-friendly and make sure your business stays financially afloat. Don't know how you expected them to exist without income.

DDG has always played the gullible "privacy is important" crowd. They can't compete with Google's search results or experience so they market it as "privacy-friendly".

Google does a far better job of knowing what I want to buy so I don't mind. If I care about not telling Google my search, I'll just use an incognito window. No big deal.

And why the hell would Apple buy just a front-end to Bing search? Makes zero sense. If they wanted to, they could talk to Bing directly and build a simple front-end. A few front-end devs can probably get a working version in a month. It'd be exactly the same as DDG. DDG has no tech. It's pure marketing.

 

[MacBH928]

so legally, you can not sign an agreement to be paid to use a specific company product and enforce that they do not create a product that compete against them? Sounds simple logic to me. Heck even if Apple made Google its only option, where is the problem in that legally?

--------------

"Verizon's Yahoo, and independent search engines DuckDuckGo and Ecosia."

NO. Those are just a different template for Bing. They are not independent. Yandex, Gigablast, and Mojeek are independent. Yes, Google and Bing are the only search engines in the world that are usable. (click here to see who relies on who)

 

[5232152]

DDG has always played the gullible "privacy is important" crowd. They can't compete with Google's search results or experience so they market it as "privacy-friendly".

Google does a far better job of knowing what I want to buy so I don't mind. If I care about not telling Google my search, I'll just use an incognito window. No big deal.

And why the hell would Apple buy just a front-end to Bing search? Makes zero sense. If they wanted to, they could talk to Bing directly and build a simple front-end. A few front-end devs can probably get a working version in a month. It'd be exactly the same as DDG. DDG has no tech. It's pure marketing.

Google knows better what you want to buy than DDG? Obviously. And the reason is terrifying. This what-about-ism is not really productive. You asked about DDG and got an answer and start to applaud Google? I don't follow. Have a nice day.

 

[audiophilosophy]

Once again, we get evidence that Tim Cook is being dishonest when he says privacy is at the core of Apple. If it was, he would have invested a portion of the huge cash pile they've had for over 10 years into developing an Apple search engine and not just an alternative to Google Maps.

 

[I7guy]

Once again, we get evidence that Tim Cook is being dishonest when he says privacy is at the core of Apple. If it was, he would have invested a portion of the huge cash pile they've had for over 10 years into developing an Apple search engine and not just an alternative to Google Maps.

This isn't evidence.

 

[webkit]

Once again, we get evidence that Tim Cook is being dishonest when he says privacy is at the core of Apple. If it was, he would have invested a portion of the huge cash pile they've had for over 10 years into developing an Apple search engine and not just an alternative to Google Maps.

Apple/Cook either don't think Google is as "evil" as some do OR do think Google is evil but are willing to ignore it for the right price (currently $10B+ a year).

 

[return2sendai]

I'm sorry. That must be a joke. No one is going to subscribe to an Apple search engine when a better one is free. Maybe you will. But Apple is not going to drop $50 billion building a search engine only for one person to pay $4.99/month for it.

And arguably, a subscription is worse overall for humanity because it excludes it from people who can't pay for it.

Then just make it free, like Apple’s OSs.

 

[Abazigal]

Once again, we get evidence that Tim Cook is being dishonest when he says privacy is at the core of Apple. If it was, he would have invested a portion of the huge cash pile they've had for over 10 years into developing an Apple search engine and not just an alternative to Google Maps.

You mean something like DDG, which users can use as the default search engine in safari?

 

[wanha]

Speculation Over an Apple Search Engine Resurfaces, But Apple Likely Remains Focused on Siri and Spotlight

Goodbye Google Search? Apple ramping up efforts to make custom search engine

Analyst Argues Apple Should Acquire DuckDuckGo Search Engine

I could keep going, but you are getting the point that the analogic and logic are pretty accurate I hope. Cheers

"Analyst argues..."

"Speculation ... resurfaces"

That's an interesting way to prove the accuracy of your point, as none of this information is coming from Apple.

Going into search would be entirely a defensive move for Apple the way creating Android was for Google/Alphabet.

As long as there is no real need to do so, my hunch is that Apple is more than happy to stay out of that market.

 

[webkit]

You mean something like DDG, which users can use as the default search engine in safari?

If Apple/Cook really thought Google was evil and/or really wanted to make a statement regarding privacy, they could've gone with a different search engine default. The fact that they've been going with Google means they don't think Google is that bad OR they were willing to make a deal with the "devil" for the right price.

 

[Abazigal]

There is apparently a paid search engine service.

Neeva - Search powered by AI

Did you know 40% of search results are ads? Created by ex-Google execs, Neeva only shows you real results. No ads or affiliate links ever.

neeva.com

I wonder how many people would subscribe if Apple were to ever launch such a service.