During the Justice Department’s antitrust trial, a senior Google executive, Prabhakar Raghavan, testified that Google paid a whopping $26.3 billion (PHP1.5 trillion) in 2021 to ensure that its search engine remained the default choice on web browsers and mobile phones.
This payment to secure default status has grown significantly, more than tripling since 2014.
Interestingly, Google’s revenue from search advertising reached a staggering $146.4 billion (8.3 trillion) in 2021, making these payments for default status its most substantial expense, as per the Bloomberg report.
Google has maintained that these revenue-sharing agreements are legal and essential for maintaining competitiveness in its search and advertising businesses.
What are your thoughts on Google’s substantial payments to secure default search engine status and the ongoing antitrust trial? Share your views!
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