How did Google's deal with Apple prevent users on this site from using DDG?
It doesn't. The value of Apple setting Google to the default search engine is more than $20b per year to Google. If Google had a better product and users had to choose then it wouldn't need to pay Apple. Google killed Internet Explorer by having a better product (Chrome) and pushing for use of antitrust legislation against Microsoft to make it easy to switch.
We have antitrust legislation to protect us from fat cats bribing each other while avoiding any competition.
Isn’t Bing the default search engine in Edge? But just like Safari, Edge users can change it if they want to but most mainstream users probably don’t. Ignorance is bliss and they are none the wiser.
Yes, most AppleInsider commenters are outside of the normal range of browser users. We use ad blockers and some of us use more than one layer of them because they don’t all work the same or update their filters as often or as deeply. I use the ad blockers in my security gateway for all internet traffic plus 1Blocker (paid) on all of my devices. I still see a few ads on pages and pop-under ads but it’s tolerable and works quite well. I’ve heard that using a Pi-Hole on a Raspberry Pi or in a container works quite well also because the community support keeps whacking more and more moles all of the time. Of course you can reach a point where some pages will not load, but none of the sites I rely on are an issue. If they were I can set exceptions.
I agree with those who insist that Google Search is more comprehensive with its results. Of course this doesn’t keep me from using DuckDuckGo as the default search engine on most of my devices and computers. If I’m struggling to find what I’m looking for I’ll use Google Search. However, in the last year or so, instead of using Google Search as a fallback I’ve been using ChatGPT. I find that ChatGPT is very good at digging out harder-to-find details that get me pointed in the right direction for me to drill in more deeply.
I like having many tools at my disposal, so just like I have a tool chest and tool cabinets filled with all kinds of electrical, pneumatic, and mechanical tools I want my computing toolbox to have a diversity of tools for different challenges. No one tool serves all purposes.
If anyone is concerned about Google having personal details about them, yet wish they could still use Google Search it's easy-peesy, and requires no special software or paid blocker.....
Don't use, better yet don't even have, a Google account. Google doesn't save your activity to a Google account if you browse/search without being logged into one. They won't have a clue who you are, nor will they try to figure it out. It's not worth their time. They'll have no name, no address, nothing. They won't save any search or browsing activity because they will have no account to save it to.
How simple.
Some people make this way more involved that it is. There's nothing nefarious going on. Don't open a Google account and agree to their terms and you're good. You will not be tracked because there is no "you", as far as Google is concerned.
As for ads in and of themselves, they don't scare me. I've seen them on TV for decades and no one stole my credit card, broke into my bank, snuck into my house, or investigated me because I watched one.
But what about someone like me who does log into a Google account (actually a few depending on whom I want to be at the time as far as Google is concerned) because I like having continuity between the several internet-connected devices I regularly use?
I still control what Google collects, what Google services can access my data and which ones I'll restrict, reset my account whenever i wish, and delete all stored browsing data at my whim. I have primary control of my own accounts. Just take the time to figure it out and then double-check. At least most settings are relatively easy to find now. It wasn't always so. https://safety.google/privacy/privacy-controls/
Apple has gone a step further than the article mentions. It now wants to participate in Google's legal defense, concerned that Google cannot adequately protect both themselves and Apple's interests against the government's demands for a break-up.
The development of a search engine would require diverting both capital investment and employees because creating a search engine would cost billions of dollars and take many years. Search is rapidly evolving due to recent and ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence, making it economically risky to devote the huge resources that would be required to create a search engine.
makes it sound like not only should Google not be paying apple, but that apple should be paying Google.
If Cue truly means this then it implies (1) Google is dumb for paying apple and (2) apple is dumb for pointing out that Google is dumb.
But I think neither apple nor Google are dumb, which makes me think Cue doesn’t believe what he’s saying but does believe (or hopes) that the audience for his message is dumb.
People are free to use what ever search engine they want, but rest assured that Google search is superior by far than any other. With new AI capabilities being introduced into Google search, it is blowing away the competition including Bing and DuckDuckGo.
For the record Google’s AI boosted search is one of the specific REASONS I gave up on Google. All I get from them now are ads and AI generated garbage.
Apple has gone a step further than the article mentions. It now wants to participate in Google's legal defense, concerned that Google cannot adequately protect both themselves and Apple's interests against the government's demands for a break-up.
The development of a search engine would require diverting both capital investment and employees because creating a search engine would cost billions of dollars and take many years. Search is rapidly evolving due to recent and ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence, making it economically risky to devote the huge resources that would be required to create a search engine.
makes it sound like not only should Google not be paying apple, but that apple should be paying Google.
If Cue truly means this then it implies (1) Google is dumb for paying apple and (2) apple is dumb for pointing out that Google is dumb.
But I think neither apple nor Google are dumb, which makes me think Cue doesn’t believe what he’s saying but does believe (or hopes) that the audience for his message is dumb.
Wow, quite the leap in logic.
Google is paying Apple for default placement, but not so that Apple doesn't create their own search engine. Both companies knew Apple wasn't planning one, something frenemies would understand. Google wanted a guaranteed fast track to Apple users and their shopping plans, worth about $40B/year in profit as of 2021 after paying Apple their cut. That's minimally $160B into Google coffers over the past four years and probably north of $200Billion. AS for Apple they got at least $80B for doing essentially nothing and at zero cost. Pure profit. Surely you understood why the two made a deal?
Apple has gone a step further than the article mentions. It now wants to participate in Google's legal defense, concerned that Google cannot adequately protect both themselves and Apple's interests against the government's demands for a break-up.
The development of a search engine would require diverting both capital investment and employees because creating a search engine would cost billions of dollars and take many years. Search is rapidly evolving due to recent and ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence, making it economically risky to devote the huge resources that would be required to create a search engine.
makes it sound like not only should Google not be paying apple, but that apple should be paying Google.
If Cue truly means this then it implies (1) Google is dumb for paying apple and (2) apple is dumb for pointing out that Google is dumb.
But I think neither apple nor Google are dumb, which makes me think Cue doesn’t believe what he’s saying but does believe (or hopes) that the audience for his message is dumb.
Wow, quite the leap in logic.
Google is paying Apple for default placement, but not so that Apple doesn't create their own search engine. Both companies knew Apple wasn't planning one, something frenemies would understand. Google wanted a guaranteed fast track to Apple users and their shopping plans, worth about $40B/year in profit as of 2021 after paying Apple their cut. That's minimally $160B into Google coffers over the past four years and probably north of $200Billion. AS for Apple they got at least $80B for doing essentially nothing and at zero cost. Pure profit. Surely you understood why the two made a deal?
If there is no way that Apple would make their own search engine and regards googles search engine as best, why would Google pay apple $20 billion for default placement ? Love?
It wouldn’t hamstring Apple not with the age of AI agents coming up there will be a multitude of new AI search agents….. However they won’t have $20 billion dollars in hand per year nor would they need it.
Apple has gone a step further than the article mentions. It now wants to participate in Google's legal defense, concerned that Google cannot adequately protect both themselves and Apple's interests against the government's demands for a break-up.
The development of a search engine would require diverting both capital investment and employees because creating a search engine would cost billions of dollars and take many years. Search is rapidly evolving due to recent and ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence, making it economically risky to devote the huge resources that would be required to create a search engine.
makes it sound like not only should Google not be paying apple, but that apple should be paying Google.
If Cue truly means this then it implies (1) Google is dumb for paying apple and (2) apple is dumb for pointing out that Google is dumb.
But I think neither apple nor Google are dumb, which makes me think Cue doesn’t believe what he’s saying but does believe (or hopes) that the audience for his message is dumb.
Wow, quite the leap in logic.
Google is paying Apple for default placement, but not so that Apple doesn't create their own search engine. Both companies knew Apple wasn't planning one, something frenemies would understand. Google wanted a guaranteed fast track to Apple users and their shopping plans, worth about $40B/year in profit as of 2021 after paying Apple their cut. That's minimally $160B into Google coffers over the past four years and probably north of $200Billion. AS for Apple they got at least $80B for doing essentially nothing and at zero cost. Pure profit. Surely you understood why the two made a deal?
If there is no way that Apple would make their own search engine and regards googles search engine as best, why would Google pay apple $20 billion for default placement ? Love?
The didn't "pay Apple $20B for placement". They paid Apple $20B in 2021 because it worked out to be the contractually agreed on 1/3rd cut, perhaps a percentage or two higher, of search revenue Google collected from Safari searches. Default settings are rarely changed, which Google understands, an so id Microsoft who also wanted that default. More profit with less work, a LOT more and essentially guaranteed.
With Apple and Google it was not set at a flat $20B. It is percentage-based and could have been more or less based on how much profit Google realized.
There's no other search provider who would have delivered better results for Apple, and there still isn't. Apple likes profit, and profit without effort is even better.
Apple has gone a step further than the article mentions. It now wants to participate in Google's legal defense, concerned that Google cannot adequately protect both themselves and Apple's interests against the government's demands for a break-up.
The development of a search engine would require diverting both capital investment and employees because creating a search engine would cost billions of dollars and take many years. Search is rapidly evolving due to recent and ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence, making it economically risky to devote the huge resources that would be required to create a search engine.
makes it sound like not only should Google not be paying apple, but that apple should be paying Google.
If Cue truly means this then it implies (1) Google is dumb for paying apple and (2) apple is dumb for pointing out that Google is dumb.
But I think neither apple nor Google are dumb, which makes me think Cue doesn’t believe what he’s saying but does believe (or hopes) that the audience for his message is dumb.
Wow, quite the leap in logic.
Google is paying Apple for default placement, but not so that Apple doesn't create their own search engine. Both companies knew Apple wasn't planning one, something frenemies would understand. Google wanted a guaranteed fast track to Apple users and their shopping plans, worth about $40B/year in profit as of 2021 after paying Apple their cut. That's minimally $160B into Google coffers over the past four years and probably north of $200Billion. AS for Apple they got at least $80B for doing essentially nothing and at zero cost. Pure profit. Surely you understood why the two made a deal?
If there is no way that Apple would make their own search engine and regards googles search engine as best, why would Google pay apple $20 billion for default placement ? Love?
Google paid Apple to stay out of search as a competitor and to kill off as much of the competition as possible perfect as far as Google was concerned kill two birds with one stone not quite as genius as creating the Chrome browser whoever came up with that idea it was a stroke of genius on Google‘s part, spy on the dumb public with a free browser genius……. The creation of the Chromebook and selling it to schools isn’t far behind either. A special type of evil.
Apple has gone a step further than the article mentions. It now wants to participate in Google's legal defense, concerned that Google cannot adequately protect both themselves and Apple's interests against the government's demands for a break-up.
The development of a search engine would require diverting both capital investment and employees because creating a search engine would cost billions of dollars and take many years. Search is rapidly evolving due to recent and ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence, making it economically risky to devote the huge resources that would be required to create a search engine.
makes it sound like not only should Google not be paying apple, but that apple should be paying Google.
If Cue truly means this then it implies (1) Google is dumb for paying apple and (2) apple is dumb for pointing out that Google is dumb.
But I think neither apple nor Google are dumb, which makes me think Cue doesn’t believe what he’s saying but does believe (or hopes) that the audience for his message is dumb.
Wow, quite the leap in logic.
Google is paying Apple for default placement, but not so that Apple doesn't create their own search engine. Both companies knew Apple wasn't planning one, something frenemies would understand. Google wanted a guaranteed fast track to Apple users and their shopping plans, worth about $40B/year in profit as of 2021 after paying Apple their cut. That's minimally $160B into Google coffers over the past four years and probably north of $200Billion. AS for Apple they got at least $80B for doing essentially nothing and at zero cost. Pure profit. Surely you understood why the two made a deal?
If there is no way that Apple would make their own search engine and regards googles search engine as best, why would Google pay apple $20 billion for default placement ? Love?
Google paid Apple to stay out of search as a competitor and to kill off as much of the competition as possible perfect as far as Google was concerned kill two birds with one stone not quite as genius as creating the Chrome browser whoever came up with that idea it was a stroke of genius on Google‘s part, spy on the dumb public with a free browser genius……. The creation of the Chromebook and selling it to schools isn’t far behind either. A special type of evil.
So, yeah — I agree. But that’s nit what Cue is saying. That’s what Cue and Google are trying to obfuscate.
Apple has gone a step further than the article mentions. It now wants to participate in Google's legal defense, concerned that Google cannot adequately protect both themselves and Apple's interests against the government's demands for a break-up.
The development of a search engine would require diverting both capital investment and employees because creating a search engine would cost billions of dollars and take many years. Search is rapidly evolving due to recent and ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence, making it economically risky to devote the huge resources that would be required to create a search engine.
makes it sound like not only should Google not be paying apple, but that apple should be paying Google.
If Cue truly means this then it implies (1) Google is dumb for paying apple and (2) apple is dumb for pointing out that Google is dumb.
But I think neither apple nor Google are dumb, which makes me think Cue doesn’t believe what he’s saying but does believe (or hopes) that the audience for his message is dumb.
Wow, quite the leap in logic.
Google is paying Apple for default placement, but not so that Apple doesn't create their own search engine. Both companies knew Apple wasn't planning one, something frenemies would understand. Google wanted a guaranteed fast track to Apple users and their shopping plans, worth about $40B/year in profit as of 2021 after paying Apple their cut. That's minimally $160B into Google coffers over the past four years and probably north of $200Billion. AS for Apple they got at least $80B for doing essentially nothing and at zero cost. Pure profit. Surely you understood why the two made a deal?
If there is no way that Apple would make their own search engine and regards googles search engine as best, why would Google pay apple $20 billion for default placement ? Love?
The didn't "pay Apple $20B for placement". They paid Apple $20B in 2021 because it worked out to be the contractually agreed on 1/3rd cut, perhaps a percentage or two higher, of search revenue Google collected from Safari searches. Default settings are rarely changed, which Google understands, an so id Microsoft who also wanted that default. More profit with less work, a LOT more and essentially guaranteed.
With Apple and Google it was not set at a flat $20B. It is percentage-based and could have been more or less based on how much profit Google realized.
There's no other search provider who would have delivered better results for Apple, and there still isn't. Apple likes profit, and profit without effort is even better.
You’re missing the forest for the chlorophyll in the leaves of the trees.
If Google is clearly the best search engine that Apple really wants to use and Apple would never ever want to build their own, why does there need to be a contract? Why does there need to be any payments?
Putting aside the debate about the overall nefarious nature of Google, it's disturbing that the federal government can inject themselves in a free-will business decision wherein Apple can decide is the up front money is a better return on their investment than building out.
If Apple were COERCED into this deal, that is a very different story. But they were not as far as any reporting of this scenario is known.
The feds want to force Apple into building its own search engine, in the name of competition? The absurd irony is if Apple DID build their own search engine (in an alternative universe without the Google deal), Apple would be much more ripe to be sued as a monopoly! The government could never play hockey, because they can't tell the difference between assholes and eyeballs when approaching a situation....
If there is no way that Apple would make their own search engine and regards googles search engine as best, why would Google pay apple $20 billion for default placement ? Love?
The contract with Google states that Apple must legally defend it and so he does. Cue also defended his illegal price fixing on books until he stopped doing so. And Cue saying "we can't afford it"... from the company that spent a decade on Car. Cue is a true corporate apparatchik.
Apple has gone a step further than the article mentions. It now wants to participate in Google's legal defense, concerned that Google cannot adequately protect both themselves and Apple's interests against the government's demands for a break-up.
The development of a search engine would require diverting both capital investment and employees because creating a search engine would cost billions of dollars and take many years. Search is rapidly evolving due to recent and ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence, making it economically risky to devote the huge resources that would be required to create a search engine.
makes it sound like not only should Google not be paying apple, but that apple should be paying Google.
If Cue truly means this then it implies (1) Google is dumb for paying apple and (2) apple is dumb for pointing out that Google is dumb.
But I think neither apple nor Google are dumb, which makes me think Cue doesn’t believe what he’s saying but does believe (or hopes) that the audience for his message is dumb.
Wow, quite the leap in logic.
Google is paying Apple for default placement, but not so that Apple doesn't create their own search engine. Both companies knew Apple wasn't planning one, something frenemies would understand. Google wanted a guaranteed fast track to Apple users and their shopping plans, worth about $40B/year in profit as of 2021 after paying Apple their cut. That's minimally $160B into Google coffers over the past four years and probably north of $200Billion. AS for Apple they got at least $80B for doing essentially nothing and at zero cost. Pure profit. Surely you understood why the two made a deal?
If there is no way that Apple would make their own search engine and regards googles search engine as best, why would Google pay apple $20 billion for default placement ? Love?
The didn't "pay Apple $20B for placement". They paid Apple $20B in 2021 because it worked out to be the contractually agreed on 1/3rd cut, perhaps a percentage or two higher, of search revenue Google collected from Safari searches. Default settings are rarely changed, which Google understands, an so id Microsoft who also wanted that default. More profit with less work, a LOT more and essentially guaranteed.
With Apple and Google it was not set at a flat $20B. It is percentage-based and could have been more or less based on how much profit Google realized.
There's no other search provider who would have delivered better results for Apple, and there still isn't. Apple likes profit, and profit without effort is even better.
You’re missing the forest for the chlorophyll in the leaves of the trees.
If Google is clearly the best search engine that Apple really wants to use and Apple would never ever want to build their own, why does there need to be a contract? Why does there need to be any payments?
Perhaps because, as with Spotlight default, Microsoft (Bing) was negotiating with Apple to also be the Safari default search provider. Apple's response was to see what Google would offer? Apple knew they were leaving money on the table by making users decide for themselves who would provide search for them. Apple took the money laying there unclaimed by adding a bit of encouragement to use Apple's choice. A default provider. Someone was going to be required to give Apple a profitable contract, even if it wasn't Google.
Apple wanted to sell the search position, not develop and provide it themselves. That much should be obvious.
Putting aside the debate about the overall nefarious nature of Google, it's disturbing that the federal government can inject themselves in a free-will business decision wherein Apple can decide is the up front money is a better return on their investment than building out.
If Apple were COERCED into this deal, that is a very different story. But they were not as far as any reporting of this scenario is known.
The feds want to force Apple into building its own search engine, in the name of competition? The absurd irony is if Apple DID build their own search engine (in an alternative universe without the Google deal), Apple would be much more ripe to be sued as a monopoly! The government could never play hockey, because they can't tell the difference between assholes and eyeballs when approaching a situation....
You’re absolutely correct and able to apply logic and critical thinking. Unfortunately, once the feds get involved in anything that requires logical reasoning they assume everyone is stupid and needs to be protected from having to deal with life’s challenges, both large and small, on their own and needs to be cared for like an infant.
Problem is, the more they keep injecting themselves in everyone’s personal lives on everyday and ordinary decisions that adults are faced with, their original assumptions start to become more and more true. Never having to perform the simplest of tasks, take charge of their personal lives, or learn by making mistakes people get more needy and unable to survive without constant help and intervention. When you think everyone is stupid and act upon that belief, people actually do get more and more stupid because they can now survive in spite of their stupidity.
Isn’t Bing the default search engine in Edge? But just like Safari, Edge users can change it if they want to but most mainstream users probably don’t. Ignorance is bliss and they are none the wiser.
Yes, most AppleInsider commenters are outside of the normal range of browser users. We use ad blockers and some of us use more than one layer of them because they don’t all work the same or update their filters as often or as deeply. I use the ad blockers in my security gateway for all internet traffic plus 1Blocker (paid) on all of my devices. I still see a few ads on pages and pop-under ads but it’s tolerable and works quite well. I’ve heard that using a Pi-Hole on a Raspberry Pi or in a container works quite well also because the community support keeps whacking more and more moles all of the time. Of course you can reach a point where some pages will not load, but none of the sites I rely on are an issue. If they were I can set exceptions.
I agree with those who insist that Google Search is more comprehensive with its results. Of course this doesn’t keep me from using DuckDuckGo as the default search engine on most of my devices and computers. If I’m struggling to find what I’m looking for I’ll use Google Search. However, in the last year or so, instead of using Google Search as a fallback I’ve been using ChatGPT. I find that ChatGPT is very good at digging out harder-to-find details that get me pointed in the right direction for me to drill in more deeply.
I like having many tools at my disposal, so just like I have a tool chest and tool cabinets filled with all kinds of electrical, pneumatic, and mechanical tools I want my computing toolbox to have a diversity of tools for different challenges. No one tool serves all purposes.
But Edge is the default browser on Windows 10 and Windows 11. And they are on over 90% of the Windows PC being used today. So why do Google Chromium browser have 67% of the desktop computer browser market? Windows PC still have over 75% of that market. If what you say is close to being true, that most users do not change the default setting, how come Edge have only 13% of the browser market on desktop computers? This means that most Windows users are aware of the default setting and know how to change it. And if they know how to change the default browser, they are probably not ignorant in knowing how to change the default search engine of the browser they chose.
Even with Macs users, 1/3 of them change the default Safari browser to some other browser. Macs have about 15% of the desktop computer market and yet, Safari market share in the desktop computer market is 9%.
But what you said is true, most of the 13% of users that stayed with Edge as their default, do not change the Bing default search engine. Even when one account for Bing being used on other browsers. But I wouldn't go as far as to say it's because .... ignorance is bliss.
The vast majority of consumers using computers and mobile devices to surf the internet, knows about the default settings and know they can easily change it .... at any time. The fact that many do not change it, is in no way a sign of ignorance. Choosing to use the default setting, is no less of a choice than choosing to use another browser or another search engine. We don't need the government telling consumers that chooses to use the product of a company that has a "monopoly", that the company is abusing their "monopoly" ....... by some how taking advantage of their "ignorance", in that they don't know any better.
Apple has gone a step further than the article mentions. It now wants to participate in Google's legal defense, concerned that Google cannot adequately protect both themselves and Apple's interests against the government's demands for a break-up.
The development of a search engine would require diverting both capital investment and employees because creating a search engine would cost billions of dollars and take many years. Search is rapidly evolving due to recent and ongoing developments in Artificial Intelligence, making it economically risky to devote the huge resources that would be required to create a search engine.
makes it sound like not only should Google not be paying apple, but that apple should be paying Google.
If Cue truly means this then it implies (1) Google is dumb for paying apple and (2) apple is dumb for pointing out that Google is dumb.
But I think neither apple nor Google are dumb, which makes me think Cue doesn’t believe what he’s saying but does believe (or hopes) that the audience for his message is dumb.
Wow, quite the leap in logic.
Google is paying Apple for default placement, but not so that Apple doesn't create their own search engine. Both companies knew Apple wasn't planning one, something frenemies would understand. Google wanted a guaranteed fast track to Apple users and their shopping plans, worth about $40B/year in profit as of 2021 after paying Apple their cut. That's minimally $160B into Google coffers over the past four years and probably north of $200Billion. AS for Apple they got at least $80B for doing essentially nothing and at zero cost. Pure profit. Surely you understood why the two made a deal?
If there is no way that Apple would make their own search engine and regards googles search engine as best, why would Google pay apple $20 billion for default placement ? Love?
The didn't "pay Apple $20B for placement". They paid Apple $20B in 2021 because it worked out to be the contractually agreed on 1/3rd cut, perhaps a percentage or two higher, of search revenue Google collected from Safari searches. Default settings are rarely changed, which Google understands, an so id Microsoft who also wanted that default. More profit with less work, a LOT more and essentially guaranteed.
With Apple and Google it was not set at a flat $20B. It is percentage-based and could have been more or less based on how much profit Google realized.
There's no other search provider who would have delivered better results for Apple, and there still isn't. Apple likes profit, and profit without effort is even better.
You’re missing the forest for the chlorophyll in the leaves of the trees.
If Google is clearly the best search engine that Apple really wants to use and Apple would never ever want to build their own, why does there need to be a contract? Why does there need to be any payments?
Because if Google is willing to pay what works out to be $20B/yr then Apple would be nuts to say nah keep the money.
Comments
We have antitrust legislation to protect us from fat cats bribing each other while avoiding any competition.
Yes, most AppleInsider commenters are outside of the normal range of browser users. We use ad blockers and some of us use more than one layer of them because they don’t all work the same or update their filters as often or as deeply. I use the ad blockers in my security gateway for all internet traffic plus 1Blocker (paid) on all of my devices. I still see a few ads on pages and pop-under ads but it’s tolerable and works quite well. I’ve heard that using a Pi-Hole on a Raspberry Pi or in a container works quite well also because the community support keeps whacking more and more moles all of the time. Of course you can reach a point where some pages will not load, but none of the sites I rely on are an issue. If they were I can set exceptions.
I agree with those who insist that Google Search is more comprehensive with its results. Of course this doesn’t keep me from using DuckDuckGo as the default search engine on most of my devices and computers. If I’m struggling to find what I’m looking for I’ll use Google Search. However, in the last year or so, instead of using Google Search as a fallback I’ve been using ChatGPT. I find that ChatGPT is very good at digging out harder-to-find details that get me pointed in the right direction for me to drill in more deeply.
I like having many tools at my disposal, so just like I have a tool chest and tool cabinets filled with all kinds of electrical, pneumatic, and mechanical tools I want my computing toolbox to have a diversity of tools for different challenges. No one tool serves all purposes.
Don't use, better yet don't even have, a Google account.
Google doesn't save your activity to a Google account if you browse/search without being logged into one. They won't have a clue who you are, nor will they try to figure it out. It's not worth their time. They'll have no name, no address, nothing. They won't save any search or browsing activity because they will have no account to save it to.
How simple.
Some people make this way more involved that it is. There's nothing nefarious going on. Don't open a Google account and agree to their terms and you're good. You will not be tracked because there is no "you", as far as Google is concerned.
As for ads in and of themselves, they don't scare me. I've seen them on TV for decades and no one stole my credit card, broke into my bank, snuck into my house, or investigated me because I watched one.
But what about someone like me who does log into a Google account (actually a few depending on whom I want to be at the time as far as Google is concerned) because I like having continuity between the several internet-connected devices I regularly use?
I still control what Google collects, what Google services can access my data and which ones I'll restrict, reset my account whenever i wish, and delete all stored browsing data at my whim. I have primary control of my own accounts. Just take the time to figure it out and then double-check. At least most settings are relatively easy to find now. It wasn't always so.
https://safety.google/privacy/privacy-controls/
makes it sound like not only should Google not be paying apple, but that apple should be paying Google.
Google is paying Apple for default placement, but not so that Apple doesn't create their own search engine. Both companies knew Apple wasn't planning one, something frenemies would understand. Google wanted a guaranteed fast track to Apple users and their shopping plans, worth about $40B/year in profit as of 2021 after paying Apple their cut. That's minimally $160B into Google coffers over the past four years and probably north of $200Billion. AS for Apple they got at least $80B for doing essentially nothing and at zero cost. Pure profit. Surely you understood why the two made a deal?
With Apple and Google it was not set at a flat $20B. It is percentage-based and could have been more or less based on how much profit Google realized.
There's no other search provider who would have delivered better results for Apple, and there still isn't. Apple likes profit, and profit without effort is even better.
If Apple were COERCED into this deal, that is a very different story. But they were not as far as any reporting of this scenario is known.
The feds want to force Apple into building its own search engine, in the name of competition? The absurd irony is if Apple DID build their own search engine (in an alternative universe without the Google deal), Apple would be much more ripe to be sued as a monopoly! The government could never play hockey, because they can't tell the difference between assholes and eyeballs when approaching a situation....
Apple wanted to sell the search position, not develop and provide it themselves. That much should be obvious.