Google paid an astounding $26.3 billion in 2021 to become the default search engine on a variety of browsers, phones, and platforms, according to evidence presented in the ongoing US v. Google antitrust trial. This revelation, which came out when Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s head of search, was cross-examined, demonstrates how much Google values being the default option.
This amount highlights the significance of default status and accounts for a sizeable chunk of Google’s search revenues. Apple receives the lion’s share of these costs; comparable agreements are in place with Mozilla, Samsung, and other device manufacturers and carriers. These numbers, which were previously kept under wraps, reveal how much Google spends keeping its default position across all platforms. As the trial progresses, the court will determine the implications of this expenditure on market competition.
