Two of the world’s largest tech companies, Apple and Google, are joining forces against each other in a high-stakes antitrust trial. At stake is billions of dollars in revenue and dominance over the internet search engine market.
Apple stands to lose tens of billions of dollars per year if it can’t defend its deals with Google, which has become the default search engine on Safari. Meanwhile, Google faces the possibility of losing its entire web browser, Chrome, as well as its Android operating system, both massive revenue streams.
Google denies monopolizing online search, claiming that Apple and Google are not competitors in the space. However, Apple’s lawyers argue that competition is stifled when one company controls the market. In a surprising twist, Apple has asked to call witnesses who will testify at the trial, which aims to force Google to sell off its Chrome browser and Android operating system.
Google counters by suggesting that exclusive deals are the real issue, not breaking up the company’s business units. It proposes ending such agreements with phone manufacturers and giving browser companies more flexibility in setting rival search engines as default. The outcome of this landmark case will shape the global tech industry and reshape how we use the internet.
Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/as-google-faces-a-grave-and-uncertain-future-apple-steps-in-heres-why-7324986