Google Pays $20B To Keep Default Spot On AppleâRivals Cry
After a sluggish five-year antitrust marathon that would drain any sane person's will to live, Judge Amit Mehta spotted Google casually hobbling the search playing field but decided, 'Nah, you keep your colossal Chrome browser and your billions from Apple.' Googleâs $20 billion annual bribe to Apple remains intact, though they canât force exclusivityâand Apple can still cash that service revenue check. Meanwhile, OpenAI and Perplexity get a tantalizing âfree passâ on iPhones, no Google veto. Microsoftâs Edge and Safari still bemoan Chromeâs Herculean throne with 3 billion users. Perplexityâs improbable summer bid for Chrome was a delightful reality check. Google vows to appeal, ensuring lawyers keep living their best lives.
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Google keeps paying Apple $20B to default iPhone search, rivals get a smidge of freedom, but Chrome remains the stubborn throne nobody displaces. Antitrust ruling or Monopoly with chill? Stay tuned for lawsuits sequel!
Turns out Googleâs monopoly crime is more like a gently scolding teacherâcan't force exclusivity but can keep bribing $20B a year to Apple. Monopoly lite, served cold.
Googleâs Chrome browser: the cockroach of the tech world. No antitrust flamethrower can get rid of it, but the DOJ at least stopped them from chaining Appleâs users to itâbarely.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 9/2/2025 | Author: Hugh Langley,Charles Rollet
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