Google And Apple To End Their Long-Running Partnership!

A recent report from “The Information” reveals that Google is trying to reduce reliance on Apple’s Safari browser regarding the outcome of the antitrust case. Over the years, the American search engine company Google tried to shift iPhone users to its platforms, Google and Chrome. The share of searches has grown from 25% to 30% in the last five years. Google aims to attain 50% of searches by 2030, but the portion remains very low. 

The billions of dollars paid to Silicon Valley-based Apple are part of a revenue-sharing contract. According to this contract, Apple receives a portion of the advertising revenue from Google searches in Safari. Google encourages users to shift to Chrome so that it has to pay less amount to Apple. However, Safari comes pre-installed on Apple devices, so persuading iPhone users to abandon the app has proven to be challenging. 

Google recently hired Robby Stein, a former executive of Instagram and Yahoo, to lead this initiative. Stein will be responsible for utilising generative AI to enhance the appeal of Google’s apps. 

The Justice Department is constantly investigating Google regarding its relationship with Silicon Valley-based tech company Apple. This investigation is reported to focus on the ample payments Google makes to Apple to secure its position as the default search engine on Safari. The payments are estimated to be over $20 billion annually.