Apple has requested to participate in Google’s upcoming U.S. antitrust trial, aiming to defend its revenue-sharing agreements with the tech giant.
These agreements send Apple billions of dollars each year in exchange for making Google the default search engine on its Safari browser.
Apple’s legal team argues that it cannot rely on Google to defend these arrangements, which have reportedly netted the company around $20 billion in 2022 alone.
In court filings, Apple stated that it has no intention of building its own search engine to compete with Google, regardless of the outcome of the case.
The trial, set for April, will address the Department of Justice’s efforts to break up Google’s business, with prosecutors arguing that Google’s dominance in online search may require it to sell off key assets like its Chrome browser and Android operating system.
Apple’s participation in the case reflects its interest in protecting the financial benefits it gains from its partnership with Google, as well as ensuring that the search market remains competitive.
Google’s proposed adjustments to its agreements with browser developers and mobile manufacturers have not included ending its lucrative revenue-sharing model with Apple.
The case could have far-reaching implications for how users access information online and how major tech companies structure their business relationships.