Apple Says It Won't Create a Search Engine, Here's Why

Apple has no plans to compete with Google in the search engine market, according to the company's services chief Eddy Cue.

In a declaration filed with a U.S. federal court in Washington, D.C. in December, Cue said Apple is against the idea for the following reasons:

• The development of a search engine would cost Apple "billions of dollars" and "take many years," and this would divert investment money and employees away from "other growth areas" that the company is focused on.
• The search business is "rapidly evolving" due to artificial intelligence, so it would be "economically risky" for Apple to create a search engine.
• In order to create a "viable" search engine business, Apple would be required to "sell targeted advertising," which is "not a core business" for the company and would go against its "longstanding privacy commitments."
• Apple does not have enough "specialized professionals" and "operational infrastructure" needed to build and run a successful search engine business.

Last year, as part of the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust trial against Google, the court declared that the deal that sees Google set as the default search engine in Apple's web browser Safari is illegal. In his declaration, Cue asked the court to allow Apple to defend the deal by having its own witnesses testify during the trial. However, the court has so far denied Apple's attempt to intervene in the trial.

"Only Apple can speak to what kinds of future collaborations can best serve its users," wrote Cue. "Apple is relentlessly focused on creating the best user experience possible and explores potential partnerships and arrangements with other companies to make that happen."

As part of the deal, Cue revealed that Google paid Apple roughly $20 billion in 2022 alone.

If the agreement can no longer continue, Cue said "it would hamstring Apple's ability to continue delivering products that best serve its users' needs."