Apple Explains Why It Won’t Develop Its Own Search Engine

In a recent court filing during the legal battle between Google and the US Department of Justice, Apple disclosed three key reasons behind this decision.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, outlined the rationale. First, Apple is focused on other growth areas that align with its strategic goals. Building a search engine would require diverting significant resources to a project that might not yield a return on investment in the near future.

Cue also pointed to the rapid developments in artificial intelligence, stating that the field introduces uncertainties that make it risky to invest heavily in creating a search platform.

Lastly, the company highlighted a fundamental difference in its business model: building a search engine would require developing a platform for targeted advertising, a space Apple has consciously avoided, as it does not align with its core values.

This revelation comes amidst Apple’s involvement in Google’s antitrust defense against the US DOJ. A statement from Apple, cited by Reuters, clarified its stance: “Google can no longer adequately represent Apple’s interests: Google must now defend against a broad effort to break up its business units.”

The partnership between the two tech giants runs deep. Google pays Apple substantial sums to remain the default search engine on its devices. A 2022 agreement reportedly saw Google paying around $20PHP 1,174INR 1,695EUR 19CNY 146 billion (~PHP 1.1USD 0.02INR 2EUR 0.02CNY 0.14 trillion) for this arrangement.

What do you think about Apple’s reasons for not developing its own search engine? Share your thoughts in the comments section!