Apple moves to join Google antitrust trial over search engine agreement

Apple has requested to participate in the upcoming U.S. antitrust trial against Google over online search practices, arguing it cannot rely solely on Google to defend the revenue-sharing agreements that send billions of dollars to Apple each year.

These agreements make Google the default search engine on Apple's Safari browser. In court papers filed in Washington on Monday, Apple clarified that it does not plan to create its own search engine to compete with Google, regardless of whether these payments continue.

In 2022 alone, Apple is estimated to have received $20 billion from its agreement with Google. Apple has expressed its intention to call witnesses to testify at the trial, which is scheduled for April.

The trial is part of the Department of Justice’s landmark case against Google, which seeks to demonstrate that Google must take significant measures to restore competition in the online search market.

These measures could include selling its Chrome browser and potentially its Android operating system.

Apple’s lawyers stated, "Google can no longer adequately represent Apple’s interests: Google must now defend against a broad effort to break up its business units." The trial is expected to have significant implications for how users access online information.

In response, Google has proposed loosening its default agreements with browser developers, mobile-device manufacturers, and wireless carriers, though it has not offered to end its revenue-sharing agreements.