The U.S. antitrust trial against Google is becoming one of the biggest battles in tech history. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is pushing for seismic changes to Google’s business. With the stakes so high, Apple is stepping into the ring. Not to support Google outright but to protect its own interests in a billion-dollar search deal. If all of this sounds too complicated, don’t worry. I’m about to break it down for you.
Why is Google in trouble?
In 2020, the DOJ accused Google of using anticompetitive practices to maintain its search monopolies. So, what are these “anticompetitive tactics”? The DOJ alleges that Google has leveraged its dominance through exclusivity agreements, tying arrangements, and long-term deals prioritising its search engine above competitors.
In August 2024, Google lost the case as a Washington federal judge ruled that Google does, in fact, have a monopoly on search. The ruling specifically highlighted its billion-dollar deals with Apple to make Google the default search engine for Apple devices and Safari.
“This victory against Google is a historic win for the American people,” said Attorney General Garland. “No company – no matter how large or influential – is above the law. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce our antitrust laws.” Meanwhile, CEO Sundar Pichai maintains that Google’s success comes from innovation, not anti-competitive behaviour​.
The DOJ has since proposed some drastic remedies. These include forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser and potentially even its Android operating system. They have also suggested a ten-year ban on Google’s default search deals. However, Google offers to scale down those deals for only three years.
Why is Apple getting involved?
While we’d like to imagine tech giants collaborating to create better products for us, the reality is far more self-serving. So why is Apple stepping into Google’s antitrust battle? They earn an estimated $20 billion annually from the aforementioned deal to make Google the default search engine for Apple products like Safari, Siri, and Spotlight.
In court filings, Apple argued that Google might be too busy defending other parts of its business to prioritise their shared agreement. The company plans to call its own witnesses to ensure the deal isn’t dismantled. They also stressed that partnership is a “mutual business decision” rather than an anti-competitive scheme.
The outcome of this trial could reshape Google’s entire business, as losing Chrome or Android would be devastating for them. However, the stakes are equally high for Apple, as losing their partnership with Google could mean billions in lost revenue. At the same time, as Apple has already made it clear that they don’t have any plans to build their own search engine, rulings from this case could cause potential disruptions in their services.
What does this mean for you?
This trial is about competition (or lack thereof) in online search. It’s not like you can’t choose your default search engine now. But imagine a world where DuckDuckGo is the default on your iPhone or Chrome isn’t tied to Google Search. On one hand, it’s good that a single player won’t continue to dominate the internet.
However, these changes could also lead to less seamless experiences. Google and Apple’s collaboration has arguably made their ecosystems more efficient.
However, I am more worried about Chromium. While Google doesn’t own the open-source project, its browser is built on it, and its developers are the biggest contributors to it. If they had to sell Chrome, they would be less incentivised to work on the project. Chromium not only powers Chrome but also Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, and many more browsers. But at the same time, Chrome is too big for Google to let go without a fight. And there’s a lot more to unfold here.
What’s to come
This trial is a defining moment for Big Tech. The DOJ’s case against Google and Apple’s decision to intervene highlights how deeply intertwined these companies are and how hard it is to untangle their influence without disrupting the user experience.
The hearing is set for April 2025, and its outcome could reshape the tech landscape. Whether you’re team Google, team Apple, or just team “let me search in peace,” this battle is worth keeping an eye on.