New information has emerged revealing Microsoft’s persistent attempts to persuade Apple to switch Safari’s default search engine to Bing or even acquire Microsoft altogether.
This information came to light as part of the ongoing antitrust case Google is pursuing against the United States Department of Justice. According to the documents, Microsoft approached Apple with proposals in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020, recommending that Bing replace Google as the default search engine in Safari.
Despite Microsoft’s repeated offers, Apple consistently declined, expressing concerns about Bing’s search engine quality compared to Google’s. The documents also reveal that in 2018, Microsoft suggested making Bing the default search engine or even selling Bing to Apple or creating a joint venture focused on the search engine. However, Apple rejected these proposals as well.
The court documents shed light on Apple‘s decision-making process, highlighting the company’s assessment of Bing’s capabilities against Google’s. Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, questioned Bing’s search results quality and Microsoft’s commitment to search technology.
Google’s argument is that maintaining Google as the default search engine on Apple devices involves significant costs. Microsoft’s persistent efforts to sway Apple underscore the competitive dynamics in the search engine market amid allegations of Google’s dominance in web search advertising.
