Google Paid Apple Billions To Dominate Search On iPhones, Justice Department Says

Buried on Page 36 of the Justice Department lawsuit accusing Google of abusing its monopoly power is this remarkable figure: $8 billion to $12 billion.

That's the hefty sum Google allegedly paid Apple for one of the most prized pieces of real estate in the world of online search: default status on iPhones and all other Apple devices.

Justice Department investigators say Apple, which does not have its own search engine, hammered out a multiyear deal making Google the default search engine on all iPhones and other Apple products. It meant that Web browser Safari, voice assistant Siri and device query feature Spotlight all made Google the default choice.

Clinching default search status on Apple products was a victory of historic proportions for Google.