Google has been paying Apple a portion of search revenue generated by people using Google Chrome on iOS, reports The Register, quoting an unnamed “to a source familiar with the matter.”
The article notes that this is one of the aspects of the relationship between the two tech goliaths that currently concerns the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The Register says it’s reached out to Apple and Google for a comment, but neither has responded.
If the report is true, does this hint that Apple is undermining its own Safari browser on iPhones for more cash? After all, the company is one of the most profitable — perhaps the most profitable —in the world.
As The Register notes, Google pays Apple, Samsung, and other manufacturers billions of dollars to make its web search engine the default on devices. However, it’s not been noted until now that the CMA has been looking into Chrome on iOS and its role in a search revenue sharing deal Google has with Apple.
Which makes the rumor/report particularly interesting is that, for a couple of years, it’s rumored that Apple is working on its own search engine to rival Google as part of its efforts to beef up Spotlight’s search features.
A 2022 report from The Information Apple’s search technology faces a setback amid loss of talent to Google. In 2018, Apple sought to bolster development of a web search engine by buying machine learning startup Laserlike, which was founded by three former Google search engineers. The company’s technology recommended websites based on a user’s interests and browsing history. Now, Laserlike’s founders have reportedly returned to Google.
MacRumors has said Apple’s search team is believed to contain at least 200 employees and powers the technology behind Spotlight, Siri Suggestions, and answers provided by Siri. However, the tech giant is still at least four years away from launching a replacement to Google search, according to The Information.
