Google Reportedly Pays Apple $8-12 Billion Per Year to be Default iOS Search Engine

[Kabeyun]

1. That’s a buttload of cash for something that’s easily changed, so
2. People should ask themselves why it’s worth so much to Google, and act accordingly.

 

[BootsWalking]

Exactly what company isn’t about money?

They're all about money, but not many of them pretend they care about users' privacy and then do a $12B/year back-room deal with the same company they publicly finger for monetizing users privacy.

 

[steve62388]

Want to really give choice? A default search engine selection screen in alphabetic order. Will that happen? No.

Go Bing! 🤣

 

[magicman32]

Presumably, though, the result would be a choice screen, not some other default. So everyone will see a list of choices, google being one of them.

How many are going to pick duckduckgo or bing?

I use Bing on all my devices. Nothing to do with privacy, I just actually prefer it. I’m not naive enough to believe in the whole “privacy” thing what with living in the US. That ship has sailed. So all this faux indignation of “privacy” makes me laugh but, hey, to each their own. But yeah, I do believe Apple comes the closest to it even though, case in point, haven’t had an iPhone in 3 years.

 

[Art Mark]

Funny how people still believes Apple's narrative. That’s bull***t.

The last update on my 4K smartTV (Samsung) forced the installation of Apple Music and Apple TV without my consent, I don’t like the intrusion but what infuriates me the most is that I CANNOT UNINSTALL IT! The option is greyed-out, WTF.

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The only reason Apple was able to moderately sustain their “privacy” narrative was because Services was not their main business, it was Hardware, but now that they are competing in Music, TV and all those services they will quietly phase it out, THEY WANT/NEED YOUR DATA.

Apple ran a ad business too for several years, I can see them going back to it in the future.

A quick search will show you many examples of how your data does not stay on your iPhone and more specifically you get all sorts of targeted ads everywhere on your phone even by disabling every option possible.

For goodness sakes, get an Android and enjoy the freedom and the fact that there's no company spying on you with that platform. And no, Apple doesn't keep or sell your user data. But keep the BS narrative up and that will empower teh companies that ONLY track and serve ads to you.

 

[haydn!]

I think the conclusion here is wrong. It assumes the outcome would be they no longer get to pay Apple for exclusivity and in return Apple uses something different.

But the likely outcome is Google stops paying Apple, and Apple have to offer users a choice at setup - much like windows does browsers. Most people will still choose Google. So actually, Apple loses out and Google still gets significant traffic.

 

[polyphenol]

Want to really give choice? A default search engine selection screen in alphabetic order. Will that happen? No.

You'd just get search engines renaming as "A Search", and similar. Think taxi company names!

I've been using DuckDuckGo for so long I can't remember when I changed to it.

 

[Art Mark]

Exactly what company isn’t about money?

Imagine that...a company is about making money. That's an amazing insight. So companies that just want to make money should just stop trying so hard and make Android crapware and Windows. Since those companies also want to make money but are happy to make the worst devices and systems. So Apple shouldn't try so hard and make good products if they just want to make money - they should be like everyone else and just be happy with crap.

 

[LeadingHeat]

Or perhaps most people would switch back to Google if it wasn't the default engine because DuckDuckGo and others still can't replicate the results that Google provides AND Apple can reinvest some of those billions back into privacy conscious solutions such as Apple Sign In and Safari privacy features.

Uhh Apple doesn’t pay google. Google pays Apple. They would actually have LESS to work with, not more to invest in other places.

 

[jz0309]

50% of google's search traffic comes from apple devices?
I think Apple has ~ 20% share of computer/laptop market, 25% share of smartphones, and 70% of tablets?
so the rest of the world on Windows and Android only use 50% of google search, their market share is what? 2-3x of Apple? that just does not feel right
Edit: this is just a quick estimate so just counting the ones with big market share, so Windows and android, and I realize there are more out there

 

[jz0309]

If the other stats are true, I don’t see why google wouldn’t pay money

- 50% of google search comes from Apple

Paying Apple a lot of money is a good incentive for Apple not to do their own search engine.

I find that number really hard to believe given that apple devices are outnumbered by 1 to 3 (just a quick estimate). I replied prior to seeing this comment

 

[polyphenol]

50% of google's search traffic comes from apple devices?
I think Apple has ~ 20% share of computer/laptop market, 25% share of smartphones, and 70% of tablets?
so the rest of the world on Windows and Android only use 50% of google search, their market share is what? 2-3x of Apple? that just does not feel right

Are you missing Baidu in your calculations?

 

[Vanilla35]

Seems like google would lose little traffic but apple would lose a lot of money. (Most people would choose google as their default)

Most people would probably just use the default. If it's not google, that could be huge. In a few years of course Apple will be releasing their own anyway.
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I knew it was a lot of money but, I would have never guessed it was that much.

A privacy centered company using a company that exploits people’s privacy as the default search engine is crazy stuff.

Is it just "crazy"? Or is it enough to make you boycott their products or call them out on it?

 

[Piggie]

Exactly what company isn’t about money?

Perhaps one that constantly tells the whole world Security /Privacy are their No.1 priority.

 

[GeoStructural]

So it's Apple's fault that Samsung has bad software and won't let you delete something from your Samsung TV? Interesting...

Also I assume you've never actually used an iPhone, since there is not one single targeted ad anywhere in iOS. There are some ads in the App Store but they're based off your search query, not your personal information.

You assumed incorrectly, All the other apps can be uninstalled, even the evil ones like Prime Video and Google TV... but not Apple's, I am forced to keep Apple TV, guess why? How much money must Apple be paying Samsung to force the app on us. Very Private commercial tactic of them.

Also I assume you've never actually used an iPhone, since there is a lot of targeted ads everywhere. There, I used your words... I have had iPhones all the way back since the 5.

 

[jz0309]

Are you missing Baidu in your calculations?

yup, and a few. more too
I put a note in my original reply ...

 

[jz0309]

You assumed incorrectly, All the other apps can be uninstalled, even the evil ones like Prime Video and Google TV... but not Apple's, I am forced to keep Apple TV, guess why? How much money must Apple be paying Samsung to force the app on us. Very Private commercial tactic of them.

Also I assume you've never actually used an iPhone, since there is a lot of targeted ads everywhere. There, I used your words... I have had iPhones all the way back since the 5.

you certainly can delete the Apple TV app, definitely in iOS 14, can't remember 13

 

[farewelwilliams]

Uhh Apple doesn’t pay google. Google pays Apple. They would actually have LESS to work with, not more to invest in other places.

I didn't say Apple did. I think you misread my comment.

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That’s not my experience. Been using duckduckgo as my sole search engine for a couple of years now. Couldn’t be happier.

Disagreed from me. Googled some software engineering questions and had different experiences.

 

[polyphenol]

you certainly can delete the Apple TV app, definitely in iOS 14, can't remember 13
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Wasn't the issue removing it from a Samsung TV rather than an IOS device?

 

[jz0309]

Wasn't the issue removing it from a Samsung TV rather than an IOS device?

maybe I missed that detail, didn't read every single reply, oopsie

 

[falkon-engine]

If the government prevails, What’s to stop Apple from just building its own search engine... and setting that to the default in iOS and MacOS? Given that Apple has such a large user base, If the new engine is good enough such that most users simply don’t care to change it, then the outcome will be the government will have moved millions if not billions of users off of Google search onto Apple search.

And if that happens, what happens to the so-called small-guy competitor search engine (bing?) that the government is alleging to protect ? I don’t see how they will benefit.

 

[NervousFish2]

Sometimes, anti-competitive practices require anti-monopoly actions, in response. But sometimes monopolies are 'natural', in which case the only solution is to nationalize them.

Google, Apple, they should all be run by the state, as public services

 

[polyphenol]

Sometimes, anti-competitive practices require anti-monopoly actions, in response. But sometimes monopolies are 'natural', in which case the only solution is to nationalize them.

Google, Apple, they should all be run by the state, as public services

Which state?

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Some search engine has to be the default. Apple makes it easy to switch, so I don’t see what the problem is.

 

[LV426]

...there is not one single targeted ad anywhere in iOS. There are some ads in the App Store but they're based off your search query, not your personal information.

My understanding is that certain free iOS apps that are funded by ads are targeted*. Not at the user, for sure, but at the user’s demographic. Still a type of targeting, though.

* if you have the ‘personalise ads’ setting checked.