Apple plans to replace Google with DuckDuckGo as the default search engine for Safari's private browsing mode, according to recent reports. This disclosure emerged during the ongoing antitrust trial against Google, where the U.S. Department of Justice alleged that Google paid substantial sums to Apple to secure its position as the default search engine on various web browsers and smartphones.
With the introduction of iOS 17, Apple offered users the ability to change the search engine for Safari's private browsing mode, a move seen as an approval towards enhancing privacy options. During the trial, it was disclosed that DuckDuckGo engaged in approximately 20 meetings and phone calls with Apple executives, including discussions with the head of Safari, between 2018 and 2019 in the hope of becoming the default search engine for private browsing on Apple devices. However, the deal did not materialise, and one of the key reasons cited was Apple's apprehension regarding DuckDuckGo's reliance on Bing for its search information.
Apple's head of search, John Giannandrea, expressed concerns about the consistency of DuckDuckGo's privacy marketing with its reliance on Bing. Giannandrea believed that further due diligence was necessary before considering DuckDuckGo as the default search engine for private browsing.
As Apple explores the alternatives, Google continues to hold its position as the default search engine on Apple's Safari browser. Apple's services chief, Eddy Cue, explained that Google remained the default choice because, in Apple's view, there is no "valid alternative."
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