Apple is reportedly ramping up its efforts to develop analternative to Google search as the search engine giant has come underantitrust scrutiny in the US.
When iPhone users type in what they are looking for from thehome screen on iOS 14, Apple has begun to display its own website searchresults, The Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
This is an important development in Apple's efforts todevelop in-house search alternative, said the report, citing sources.
This gains significance in the backdrop of the lawsuit thatthe US Justice Department and 11 states filed last week, alleging that Googleweaponised its dominance in online search and advertising to kill offcompetition and harm consumers.
Google, which now controls about 90 per cent of global websearches, pays Apple an estimated $8 billion to $12 billion every year to bethe iPhone's default search tool, according to reports.
If the antitrust scrutiny ultimately bars Google from such apartnership, Apple's efforts to build an alternative would pay off.
Interestingly, Apple hired former head of search at Google,John Giannandrea, back in December 2018.
Top analysts earlier this year even suggested that Apple canend its reliance on Google if it acquires privacy-focused search engineDuckDuckGo.