Google has officially appealed the antitrust ruling that found the company illegally maintained dominance in online search, and Apple’s long-running Safari search deal is once again at the center of the fight. In a new filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Google argues that Apple selected Google Search because it offered the best product and the strongest business results, not because competition was blocked.
The company said the district court made a major mistake by treating its agreements with Apple as anticompetitive, especially when rival search engines remained available inside Safari settings. Google repeatedly described its success as the result of “competition on the merits” and claimed it “prevailed in the marketplace fair and square.”
Google Defends Its Apple Search Deal
Court documents revealed during the original trial that Google paid Apple roughly $20 billion in 2022 to remain the default search engine across Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. In return, Apple reportedly received 36% of Safari search advertising revenue.
Google now argues that Apple made the decision independently because Google Search delivered stronger monetization and a better user experience than rivals like Microsoft Bing.
“Apple described choosing Google as a ‘no brainer’ because it was ‘a sure thing. They have the best search engine, they know how to advertise, and they’re monetizing really well.’ Bing, by contrast, was ‘horrible at monetizing advertising.’”
Google also pointed to testimony from Apple services chief Eddy Cue, who reportedly said there was “no price” Microsoft could offer that would make Bing more profitable for Apple because users strongly preferred Google.
What Changes After the Antitrust Ruling
Judge Amit Mehta allowed Google to continue paying Apple for default placement in Safari, but imposed new restrictions on future agreements. Google can no longer make those deals exclusive, and Apple must remain free to promote rival search engines and AI products.
The court also introduced a one-year limit on default search agreements, which means competitors now get regular opportunities to bid for Safari placement.
Google is separately trying to block parts of the remedies package that would force it to share search data and search results with competitors. The company specifically argued that AI firms like OpenAI should not receive access to Google’s search data.
“AI companies are already succeeding as wildly as any technology in human history without any need to free ride on Google’s success.”
Oral arguments for the appeal have not been scheduled yet, so the case will likely continue into late 2026 or early 2027.
