The Information reported on Google’s efforts to reduce reliance on traffic and advertising revenue from Google searches through Safari on the iPhone. It is well known that Google pays Apple a significant amount per year in exchange for being set as the default search engine. This figure in 2022 amounts to a staggering $20 billion, representing a 36% share of advertising revenue.
One of the reasons Google is striving to decrease this dependence is due to ongoing legal battles, with the US Department of Justice accusing Google of antitrust violations related to search services and advertising display systems. The fact that Google pays Apple annually is a key aspect being considered in this case. As a result, Google is preparing for potential repercussions on this deal.
Recently, Google has been pushing iPhone users to switch from searching Google through Safari to other channels like the Google app or Chrome browser. This strategy has seen some success, with the share of search channels from these alternatives increasing from 25% five years ago to around 30% at the end of last year. Google aims to reach a 50% share through these channels by 2030.
Google is also looking for ways to incentivize users to use alternative search channels more. One idea proposed is limiting the AI Overviews feature in search results to only being available through the Google app, not when searched through Safari. However, this proposal is still under consideration, reflecting Google’s ongoing efforts to reduce this dependence, even if it may not appear straightforward.
Source: The Information
TLDR: Google is trying to reduce reliance on Apple by pushing users to search through alternative channels and exploring new features like AI Overviews limited to the Google app.
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