Monday, 16 June 2025
29.3 C
Singapore
28.2 C
Thailand
20.1 C
Indonesia
28.7 C
Philippines

Apple is thinking of switching to DuckDuckGo for Safari browser, but rejected the idea

Apple eyed DuckDuckGo over Google for Safari's private mode amidst an antitrust case against Google.

Apple is discussing with DuckDuckGo, eyeing it as a replacement for Google as the default search engine for Safari’s private browsing mode, as disclosed by Bloomberg News on Wednesday. This news emerged amid a substantial federal antitrust lawsuit against Google under the scrutiny of Judge Amit Mehta.

Details of the dialogue set to be unveiled

As per the information, the specifics of these dialogues are slated to be made public later this week. This follows a directive from Judge Mehta, who, on Wednesday, asserted that the testimony of Gabriel Weinberg, DuckDuckGo’s CEO, and Apple executive John Giannandrea, would be made public. The conversations between DuckDuckGo and Apple and those involving Microsoft and Apple are expected to be revealed as per Mehta’s bench order.

Last month witnessed a significant development when the U.S. Department of Justice, during a notable trial, argued that Google, commanding a whopping 90% of the search market, had been illegally paying out US$10 billion each year to smartphone producers like Apple and network carriers including AT&T, to retain its default search engine status on their devices.

Moreover, the scenario heated up when Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, during his testimony on Monday, remarked that the tech behemoths were vying for the massive content reservoirs necessary for honing artificial intelligence. He voiced his discontent over Google securing content through high-priced, exclusive agreements with publishers, which he deemed a roadblock for Microsoft in its bid to establish Bing as the default search engine on Apple smartphones, a proposal that Apple should have warmed up to.

DuckDuckGo’s potential as Apple’s private search engine

DuckDuckGo, renowned for its privacy-centric search service, had the potential to become the go-to choice for private browsing on Safari. However, the negotiations allegedly didn’t materialise due to Google’s dominating influence. Many such prospective deals have surfaced with the Department of Justice delving into Google’s possible antitrust practices and power abuse through a bench trial. Among them were proposals from Microsoft urging Apple to transition to Bing or even consider an acquisition, but these also stumbled due to Google’s financial allure.

The unfolding of this case could affect both Google and Apple, depending on the court’s final adjudication, marking a significant chapter in the narrative of tech giants and their quest for dominance in the digital space.

Hot this week

Apple’s new Liquid Glass design hints at the future of AR glasses

Apple’s Liquid Glass UI redesign shows how your iPhone may soon blend with AR glasses launching as early as next year.

OpenAI gives ChatGPT voice mode a big update for smoother and more lifelike conversations

OpenAI updates ChatGPT’s voice mode for more natural speech, better emotion, and real-time translation for all paid users.

Resident Evil Requiem returns to Raccoon City with new story and hero, coming February 2026

Resident Evil Requiem, which launches on February 27, 2026, takes you back to Raccoon City with a new lead and chilling story.

Commvault strengthens data protection with post-quantum cryptography capabilities

Commvault expands post-quantum cryptography support with HQC to protect long-term data from future quantum computing threats.

SEON unveils AI-powered AML suite to unify fraud and compliance efforts

SEON launches AI-powered AML suite with real-time monitoring, helping risk teams manage fraud and compliance from one unified platform.

Informatica deepens partnership with Databricks to support new Iceberg and OLTP services

Informatica joins Databricks as launch partner for new Iceberg and OLTP solutions, introducing AI tools to speed up GenAI development.

Hong Kong opens skies to larger drones in bid to grow low-altitude economy

Hong Kong will allow the testing of larger drones to boost its low-altitude economy and improve logistics, following mainland China's lead.

Hong Kong to build new AI supercomputing centre in bid to lead global tech race

Hong Kong plans a new AI supercomputing centre to boost its tech hub status and support growing start-ups across the Greater Bay Area.

Steam adds full native support for Apple Silicon Macs

Steam runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs, ditching Rosetta 2 for smoother performance and better gaming on M1 and M2 devices.

Related Articles

Popular Categories