Apple and Microsoft had discussions about the potential acquisition of Microsoft’s search engine Bing by Apple in 2020, as reported by Bloomberg. Recently unsealed court filings have shed more light on these talks, revealing that Microsoft had pitched Bing as the default search engine in Apple’s Safari browser on multiple occasions.
The documents are part of the ongoing US Justice Department lawsuit alleging that Google holds a monopoly in the web search industry. Google has argued that the discussions between Apple and Microsoft, including the potential acquisition of Bing, demonstrate competition in the search industry.
In 2018, Microsoft had also approached Apple about selling Bing or forming a joint venture, but Apple’s services chief was not satisfied with the search quality offered by Microsoft. Ultimately, Apple decided to stick with Google as the default search engine for Safari users, finding it to be the superior choice.
One of the key reasons why Apple’s talks to acquire Bing never progressed further was Google’s payment of billions of dollars to remain the default search engine on Apple’s platforms. This partnership between Google and Apple remains lucrative, despite Apple’s previous considerations of acquiring Bing.
The court filings have offered a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes discussions between tech giants Apple, Microsoft, and Google in the highly competitive search industry. While Apple ultimately decided to maintain its partnership with Google, the exploration of an acquisition of Bing demonstrates the fierce competition and strategic maneuvering within the tech industry.
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