Google's $26 Billion Investment: Becoming the Default Search Engine Everywhere

Google paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure its position as the default search engine on mobile phones and web browsers, according to a slide presented in a federal antitrust trial. The payments are made to partners, with Apple likely being the largest recipient. The U.S. Department of Justice and state attorneys general argue that Google has maintained its monopoly power by leveraging its dominance to exclude rivals from key distribution channels. Google's search division generated over $146 billion in revenue in 2021, with more than $26 billion allocated to traffic acquisition costs. Google maintains that users have the option to change their default search engine.