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In figures<\/strong>. Google pays more than \u00a0$26 billion\u00a0 a year for these distribution agreements, with Apple as the main beneficiary.<\/p>\n New rules<\/strong>. Apple is now in a privileged position. It can keep Google as a predetermined option if it is still the one who pays best, but it can also offer that position to \u00a0Microsoft\u00a0 with \u00a0Bing\u00a0, \u00a0Perplexity\u00a0, or even several search engines at the same time. This change transforms a forced marriage into an open market.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Smartphone manufacturers are now free to preinstall or promote other search engines alongside Google’s. For instance, \u00a0Samsung\u00a0 could prominently feature Bing as an alternative, while \u00a0Mozilla\u00a0 could diversify its options in Firefox.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Between the lines<\/strong>. The judge’s decision indicates a concern for the future rather than the past. Mehta repeatedly mentions the emergence of \u00a0generative AI\u00a0 and how \u00a0ChatGPT\u00a0 has altered the competitive landscape. He has been cautious about intervening in a market that is being “rapidly transformed” by new players.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This caution has saved Google from more devastating repercussions. The judge initially considered a forced sale of \u00a0Chrome\u00a0 and significantly stricter limitations, but deemed such actions “very complicated and risky.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Turning point<\/strong>. This ruling marks the dawn of a new \u00a0era\u00a0 in the distribution of search engines. Apple can now experiment with hybrid models:<\/p>\n Or simply opt for whoever pays the highest at any moment.<\/p>\n The threat<\/strong>. For Google, the risk is not solely losing exclusivity but also facing a \u00a0permanent auction\u00a0 for search engine prominence.<\/p>\n The true winner of this ruling is not Google, who has avoided fragmentation but weakened its stronghold. It is Apple, who maintains its substantial income while gaining the flexibility to select the best contractor at any given time.<\/p>\n Tim Cook has witnessed his most lucrative business become even more valuable.<\/p>\n Update<\/strong>: Google, in an official statement<\/a>, emphasized that the Court “acknowledged that divesting Chrome and Android would have exceeded the focus of the case” and would have harmed consumers and partners. The company maintains that “the competition is intense” and expresses concerns about how data sharing “will impact our users and their privacy.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is the full statement:<\/p>\n “Today’s decision recognizes how much the industry has changed with the arrival of AI, giving people many more ways to find information. This reinforces our stance since the case was initiated in 2020: the competition is fierce, and users can easily choose the services they prefer. Therefore, we strongly disagree with the initial ruling of the court in August 2024 regarding responsibility.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Now the court has imposed restrictions on how we distribute Google’s services and will require us to share search data with rivals. We are concerned about how these stipulations will affect our users and their privacy, and we are reviewing the decision closely. The Court recognized that divesting Chrome and Android would have gone beyond the focus of the distribution case and would have harmed consumers and our partners.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n “As always, we will continue focusing on what truly matters: building innovative products that people choose and love.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In Xataka | Browsers prepare for the most radical transformation in their history, in which \u00a0AI\u00a0 will play a pivotal role.<\/p>\n Outstanding image credits: Solen Feyissa<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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