Google Paid $26 Billion to Be Default Search Engine in 2021 (1)

Google paid $26.3 billion to other companies to ensure its search engine was the default on web browsers and mobile phones, a top company executive testified during the Justice Department’s antitrust trial Friday.

The amount of payments Alphabet Inc.’s Google made to other companies for the default status — such as Apple Inc. for placement on the iPhone and other devices — has more than tripled since 2014, according to Prabhakar Raghavan, a senior executive responsible for both search and advertising.

Google’s search advertising brought in $146.4 billion in revenue in 2021, a number that has also climbed ...