Google's $26 Billion Price Tag for Default Search Engine Status
Google paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure its search engine as the default option on web browsers and mobile phones, according to a senior executive testifying in the Justice Department's antitrust trial. The amount of payments for the default status has more than tripled since 2014. Google's revenue from search advertising reached $146.4 billion in 2021, with the payments for the default setting being its largest cost. Google argued that the revenue share agreements are legal and that users have the option to switch to other search providers if dissatisfied. The company had objected to revealing the numbers, but the judge ruled that they should be disclosed.