Google Paid $26.3B in 2021 for Default Search Engine Status on Browsers and Devices Amid US Antitrust Trial

Google executive Prabhakar Raghavan reveals a $26.3 billion payout to partners including Apple to maintain Google's top spot in online search, with critics alleging such practice stifles competition. Despite efforts geared toward continuous innovation, Google's dominance faces growing risk of irrelevance among younger users who see the platform as dated, likening it to "Grandpa Google".