Google is in major legal trouble with the US government as it is currently facing an antitrust trial. Now, Apple has decided to support Google and requested to participate in the upcoming U.S. antitrust trial against Google. The reason why Apple has decided to become a part of the situation is because the case has significant financial stakes tied to Apple’s revenue-sharing agreement with the search giant. For those unaware, Google is the default search engine on Apple’s Safari browser.
If reports are to be believed, Apple earned around $20 billion in 2022 alone from the arrangement. Apple filed the court documents in Washington on Monday and said that it cannot depend on Google to defend the agreement. It spoke about the trial’s potential to disrupt Google’s core business operations.
In the same documents, the Cupertino-based tech giant said that it has no plans to develop its own search engine, regardless of the trial’s outcome. This indirectly means that Apple relies heavily on its partnership with Google.
The trial will take place in April 2025. It is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s landmark case against Google. The case is aimed at addressing alleged monopolistic practices that Google undertakes in online searches. Prosecutors argue that Google’s dominance in the space kills the competition and have suggested measures such as the sale of its Chrome browser or even its Android operating system to restore fairness in the market.
Now, Apple plans to call witnesses during the trial to protect its interests, stating that Google is now focused on defending itself against broader calls to break up its business units. “Google can no longer adequately represent Apple’s interests,” Apple noted in its filing.