Apple briefly considered switching over to DuckDuckGo from Google, rejected switch as it was a ‘bad idea’

Apple Inc. engaged in discussions with DuckDuckGo as a potential replacement for Alphabet Inc.’s Google as the default search engine for Apple’s Safari browser’s private mode. However, Apple ultimately decided against this proposal.

These details emerged from transcripts unveiled by the presiding judge overseeing the antitrust trial against Google in the United States, which took place recently.

On Wednesday, US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled in favour of unsealing the testimonies of Gabriel Weinberg, CEO of DuckDuckGo, and John Giannandrea, an executive at Apple. Both individuals had testified in closed sessions during the trial in Washington.

According to Weinberg’s testimony, DuckDuckGo held approximately 20 meetings and phone discussions with Apple executives, including the head of the Safari division, between 2018 and 2019. These talks revolved around the possibility of DuckDuckGo becoming the default search engine for Safari’s private browsing mode. In this mode, Safari refrains from tracking users’ website visits and maintaining a browsing history.

Weinberg expressed optimism about the potential collaboration, given that Apple had previously integrated several of DuckDuckGo’s privacy technologies into Safari. However, the idea faced opposition from Giannandrea, who assumed the role of head of search at Apple in 2018.

In a February 2019 email to other Apple executives, Giannandrea expressed scepticism, considering switching to DuckDuckGo for private browsing a “bad idea.” Giannandrea’s reservations were rooted in concerns that DuckDuckGo, which relies on Bing for search information, might share user data with Microsoft, raising questions about aligning DuckDuckGo’s privacy claims with actual practices.

Giannandrea emphasized that if Apple were seriously considering adopting DuckDuckGo as the default search engine, it would require extensive due diligence.

The Department of Justice alleges that Google has made substantial payments to Apple and other parties to secure its position as the default search engine on web browsers and smartphones. These agreements are said to have impeded the growth of alternative search engines like Microsoft’s Bing and DuckDuckGo, preventing them from becoming competitive rivals to Google, according to federal and state antitrust enforcers.

In a contrasting revelation, Giannandrea disclosed that Apple CEO Tim Cook had tasked him with discussions with Microsoft executives in 2018 regarding the possible use of Bing’s search engine in Safari. These discussions led to a series of meetings in late 2018 and late 2020 to explore a potential joint venture or sale of Bing to Apple.

As part of these discussions, Apple conducted a comparative study of Bing’s search results against Google’s, which, in May 2021, found Google’s results to be superior in most aspects, with the exception of English language search information on desktops, where Bing’s results were on par with Google’s.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also testified during the trial, revealing his company’s willingness to sustain significant financial losses if Apple were to make the switch to Bing as the default search engine.`

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