Caught In the Middle: Apple Used Bing As Leverage In Google Search Deal

Microsoft was reportedly far more serious about Bing becoming the default search engine on the iPhone and Mac than Apple ever was....
Caught In the Middle: Apple Used Bing As Leverage In Google Search Deal
Written by Matt Milano
  • Microsoft was reportedly far more serious about Bing becoming the default search engine on the iPhone and Mac than Apple ever was.

    The latest revelation coming out of Google’s landmark antitrust case is the politics that went into the search giant remaining the default option on Apple devices. Despite talks to switch to Bing, a Microsoft executive has testified that Apple was never serious about making such a move, and was instead using the idea as leverage to get more money out of Google.

    “It is no secret that Apple is making more money on Bing existing than Bing does,’’ said Mikhail Parakhin, Microsoft’s chief of advertising and web services, according to ABC News.

    Apple’s deal with Google nets the Cupertino company billions per year — in the neighborhood of $15 to $20 billion. Given the popularity of Apple’s devices, becoming the default would be a big boost to Bing. If Parakhin is correct, however, Microsoft never really had much of a chance to supplant Google.

    Such deals are at the heart of the case against Google, with the DOJ arguing that Google pays billions per year to stifle competition and unfairly maintain its dominance.

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