https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/10/doj-grilled-sundar-pichai-on-very-valuable-default-deals-deleted-chats/

Google's star witness in the Justice Department's monopoly trial, Sundar Pichai, took the stand on Monday. The Google CEO finally admitted that his company pays as much as $26.3 billion annually to set its search engine as the default in browsers and mobile devices because those default placements can be "very valuable,” The Financial Times reported.

When "done correctly," Pichai testified, these deals "can make a difference." The Apple deal, Pichai said, is one such scenario because it “makes it very, very seamless and easy" for Safari users to use Google's services," The Wall Street Journal reported.