Apple's iOS 17 Update Challenges Google's Search Engine Dominance

John Giannandrea, previously a high-ranking executive at Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL Google and now leading Apple Inc's AAPL artificial intelligence division, highlighted a subtle shift in the recent iPhone software update. 

This change allows users to opt for a search engine other than Google's while using the internet in private mode.

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The introduction of iOS 17 on Monday brought forth an option to select from multiple search engines, John Giannandrea mentioned during his testimony in a Washington federal court as part of the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Google by the Justice Department, Bloomberg reports.

This modification implies that iPhone enthusiasts can effortlessly toggle between Google and an alternate search engine with just a click. 

The ease of transitioning between search engines has been contentious in the U.S. government's antitrust case. 

The suit claims that Google unlawfully sustained its online search monopoly through agreements with web browsers and smartphone manufacturers, including Apple.

While Google asserted that users could conveniently switch search engines in mere seconds, Gabriel Weinberg, CEO of the competing search engine DuckDuckGo, argued that Google's default browser status hinders user transition, emphasizing the cumbersome steps involved.

Google's agreement with Apple designates it as the default search engine for Safari, the primary browser for devices like iPhone, iPad, and Mac. 

In return, Google shares a portion of its advertising revenue with Apple. Google allegedly paid Apple over $10 billion annually to secure its position as the default search engine on web browsers and mobile devices. 

Giannandrea clarified that while Google remains the default for Safari in private mode, users can now opt for alternatives like Yahoo, Microsoft Corp's MSFT Bing, DuckDuckGo, or Ecosia during private browsing sessions.

Having served at Google from 2010 to 2018 as the senior vice president of engineering for search, Giannandrea, a 58-year-old Scotland native, transitioned to Apple to oversee its AI and machine learning projects. 

Price Action: GOOG shares traded lower by 0.34% at $130.80 premarket on the last check Monday. AAPL shares traded lower by 0.25% at $174.35.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.