As Google faces a dire and uncertain future, Apple steps in. Here’s why

Washington DC:

Two of the world’s biggest tech giants – Apple and Google – are joining together in what increasingly seems like an indefensible cause. Billions and billions are at stake and Google, the world’s ‘default’ search engine, is staring into the abyss.

There is a lot to lose for both tech giants – for Apple, it could lead to losses of tens of billions of dollars a year and an incomprehensible drop in the accuracy of its results on functions such as Siri and Spotlight, the framework of which largely depends on Google -search. For Google, in addition to money and market share, it could result in a massive loss of its entire web browser – Chrome. It also faces another potentially gigantic loss – its Android operating system.

And finding Google in a big problem, Apple has tried to join the anti-trust case against Google through its internet search engine. Apple said Tuesday it has to step in because it can’t rely on Google alone to defend the revenue-sharing agreements the two companies have.

The epicenter of the case, which has sent tremors through Silicon Valley, lies in an agreement between Google and Apple, in which the iPhone, iPad and Macbook maker receives tens of billions of dollars each year to make Google the default search engine in its browser – Safari. In 2022 alone, Apple reportedly received over $20 billion as a result of this particular deal.

The question at the heart of the matter is simple – Has Google monopolized online search? According to Google – No, it hasn’t.

A monopoly in simple business terms is a situation where a single firm controls the entire market. In such a scenario, it becomes difficult or sometimes impossible for the competition to compete due to the lack of level playing field.

Focusing on this very point, Apple’s lawyers filed their papers with the court on Tuesday, in which they conveyed that Apple and Google are not competitors, nor does Apple want to compete in the search engine field. It also said that this is how it will be regardless of whether Apple receives billions of dollars from Google in the future.

Apple also said in its petition that it wants to call witnesses who will testify under oath at the trial, which is scheduled for April 2025. On that day, prosecutors will aim to highlight that Google absolutely needs to take more precautions — two of which are to sell its Chrome browser and possibly its Android operating system as well. Prosecutors believe that only then will competition be restored in online search. But should it happen, it will be a fatal blow to Google.

While Google’s parent company Alphabet is finding a way to combat this serious threat to its existence, Apple, which understands the gravity of the situation, has said “Google can no longer adequately represent Apple’s interests. Google must now defend itself against a broad effort to break up its business units.”

Meanwhile, Google has argued that the entire premise of the case is based on exclusive agreements – and that’s what the focus of the case should be on, rather than a goal to break Google. It has even offered to put an end to such deals in the future.

In addition to ending the deal with Apple, Google has even suggested that it is no longer willing to enter into any agreement with Android phone makers that requires the phone maker to set Google as the default search engine in exchange for its operating system and supporting apps. Google also said that browser companies such as Mozilla would be given more flexibility to set rival search engines as the default search. According to Google’s lawyers, this is a fair solution to make the market more competitive.

Between now and the crucial hearing in April, Google is doing everything it can to defend itself and limit its losses should it lose the landmark case.

The US Department of Justice vs Google is poised to be a defining moment for the global tech industry – a landmark case that may just reshape how the world uses the internet.