Microsoft has invested over $100 billion in developing its Bing search engine over the past two decades, but it struggles to gain significant market share compared to Google. The US government recently accused Google of unfairly manipulating users to maintain its dominant position in the search engine market and violating antitrust laws. The case is the first of several lawsuits the government has filed against major tech companies under increased antitrust scrutiny.
One key issue in the case is the large sums of money Google pays to be the default search engine on iPhones and the Safari browser. The government alleges that Google’s payments to Apple and other device makers contribute to its monopoly power in the search and search ads market. Google argues that companies like Apple choose its search engine because it offers a better user experience, not just because of financial incentives.
The judge is now tasked with determining whether Google unfairly obtained its popularity. The case also delves into Google’s deals with Apple dating back to 2002, where Google started paying Apple to make its search engine the default on Safari. In exchange for the payments, Google gained exclusivity in Safari and other Apple services.
Overall, the trial sheds light on the complex dynamics of the search engine market and raises important questions about competition and dominance in the tech industry.
