Member-only story
Why Apple is Fighting the U.S. Government to Protect Google
Apple loves privacy, Google loves data — so why is Apple protecting Google?
Apple and Google — frenemies with benefits.
- Apple is the privacy king.
- Google is the data king.
Yet, Google pays Apple billions every year to stay the default search engine on iPhones and Macs.
$20 billion in 2022 alone. That’s 17.5% of Apple’s operating profit.
Just for letting Google stay on the home screen.
Weird, right?
Apple builds its brand on privacy. Google thrives on data.
So why is Apple defending Google from a potential breakup by the U.S. government?
- Money.
- Strategy.
- Risk.
Breaking up Google could mean losing a nice $20 billion check every year.
It could also mean a worse user experience if Apple builds its own search engine.
And let’s be real — nobody’s switching to Bing.
Apple is caught between principles and profit.
Turns out, money talks louder than privacy.
Money talks — but so does risk
So now, the U.S. government is looking at Google, scratching its head, and wondering if maybe Google’s gotten too big, too powerful. And if maybe breaking up that big tech giant could give some breathing room to competition. The usual anti-monopoly thing.
And here’s Apple — usually playing the distant, aloof tech icon — jumping in front of Google’s speeding train yelling, “Wait, not so fast!” But why would Apple want to save Google from being broken apart?
Shouldn’t they be popping champagne and celebrating less competition?
The short answer is: Money. The longer answer involves strategy, risk, and the surprising reality of business friendships (or frenemies, if you prefer).
Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, explained Apple’s stance pretty simply: creating their own search engine would be “economically…
