Why Apple is Fighting the U.S. Government to Protect Google

Apple loves privacy, Google loves data — so why is Apple protecting Google?

Illustration by author

Apple and Google — frenemies with benefits.

• Apple is the privacy king.
• Google is the data king.

Yet, Google pays Apple billions every year to stay the default search engine on iPhones and Macs.

$20 billion in 2022 alone. That’s 17.5% of Apple’s operating profit.

Just for letting Google stay on the home screen.

Weird, right?

Apple builds its brand on privacy. Google thrives on data.

So why is Apple defending Google from a potential breakup by the U.S. government?

• Money.
• Strategy.
• Risk.

Breaking up Google could mean losing a nice $20 billion check every year.

It could also mean a worse user experience if Apple builds its own search engine.

And let’s be real — nobody’s switching to Bing.

Apple is caught between principles and profit.

Turns out, money talks louder than privacy.