Microsoft offered to sell Bing to Apple in 2018, but search-quality issues got in the way

In an ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Google, court documents revealed that Microsoft offered to sell its Bing search engine to Apple in 2018. This information comes amidst concerns about Google’s dominance in the search market, with Apple playing a key role as the default search engine on its devices.

The offer, detailed in a Google filing, included selling Bing outright or forming a joint venture with Apple. This move coincided with growing scrutiny of Google’s multi-billion dollar deals with Apple to maintain search engine exclusivity. Google argues that Microsoft’s offer demonstrates active competition, as Apple rejected Bing due to perceived quality issues.

However, the Justice Department presents a different perspective in its filing, suggesting Apple might have developed its search engine if Google’s payments ceased. This potential for competition could strengthen the case against Google’s alleged monopoly.

Further details revealed that Microsoft has invested heavily in Bing over the past two decades, spending nearly $100 billion, despite holding only 3% of the market share compared to Google’s significantly larger presence. This raises questions about the effectiveness of Microsoft’s search engine efforts and the future of competition in the market.

While the specific concerns of Apple CEO Tim Cook remain undisclosed due to redactions in the filing, his involvement adds another layer of complexity. This fuels speculation about Apple’s potential interest in developing its search engine and its role in the ongoing legal battle.

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