During closed sessions, CEO Gabriel Weinberg of DuckDuckGo testified that his company had engaged in approximately 20 meetings and phone calls with Apple executives, including the head of Safari, in the years 2018 and 2019. The discussions revolved around the possibility of DuckDuckGo becoming the default search engine for Apple’s private browsing mode.
Read More: Facebook Touch
However, Apple ultimately did not proceed with this arrangement. John Giannandrea, who assumed the role of head of search at Apple in 2018, had concerns. He believed that since DuckDuckGo relies on Bing for its search information, it might also be sharing some user data with Microsoft. This led Giannandrea to view DuckDuckGo’s privacy-focused marketing as somewhat inconsistent with these details. In a February 2019 email to fellow Apple executives, Giannandrea expressed doubts about the idea of switching to DuckDuckGo for private browsing in Safari, deeming it “probably a bad idea.”
Read Also: Best Features of iPhone 15
He further suggested that if Apple were seriously considering such a move, more extensive due diligence with DuckDuckGo would be necessary.
The ongoing trial is between the U.S. Department of Justice and Google, with the Department of Justice using Google’s prevalence on Apple devices as evidence of Google’s search engine monopoly. A significant multi-billion dollar agreement between Apple and Google designates Google as the default search engine on various Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
In recent developments in the trial, it came to light that Microsoft had considered selling its Bing search engine to Apple. Had this deal gone through, Bing would have taken over as the default search engine on Apple devices, replacing Google.
During the trial, Apple’s services chief, Eddy Cue, provided insights into why Google remains the default search engine on the iPhone. Cue stated that they opt for Google as the default because they genuinely believe it to be the best choice. He emphasized that Apple has not switched to another search engine provider because they haven’t found a “valid alternative” that meets their standards.
While Google holds the position of the default search engine on Apple devices, users still have the freedom to choose from other options such as Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo, or Ecosia as alternatives.