By Apple has petitioned to participate in Google’s forthcoming antitrust trial, aiming to defend its highly profitable search engine collaboration valued at approximately $20 billion per year, as revealed in court filings submitted Monday in Washington.
The iPhone manufacturer clarified that it has no intentions of creating its own search engine, irrespective of the trial’s verdict. “Apple is focused on pursuing other growth opportunities and has no interest in bearing the high costs associated with a field fraught with significant risks,” the company stated in its filing.
Apple contended that Google is no longer in a position to sufficiently safeguard Apple’s interests amid potential dismantling actions. “Google is now tasked with countering an extensive push to fragment its business divisions,” Apple noted in court documents.
The Department of Justice’s lawsuit, which Google lost in August, has the potential to significantly transform the online search industry. Prosecutors are seeking corrective actions, including compelling Google to divest its Chrome browser and possibly its Android operating system, to restore fair market competition.
In response, Google proposed an alternative solution, suggesting it would end exclusive agreements, such as its deal with Apple to remain the default search engine, in exchange for avoiding the forced sale of its Chrome browser amid ongoing antitrust proceedings.
Apple defended its existing collaboration with Google, emphasizing that removing Google as a search option would disadvantage consumers who “overwhelmingly prefer Google’s service.” The company further argued that allowing Google to remain without compensation would result in “a distorted market dynamic,” granting the dominant search provider an inequitable advantage.
