Apple could be working on its own search engine, an unnoticed move that came amid the heat of the antitrust woes against Google.
According to the Financial Times, iOS 14 showed how Apple reinforced its own search engine. An iOS 14 updated iPhone or iPad device displays a new feature on the Apple home screen. It's a search box that now displays Apple's own search result, a never before seen function.
Apple search box
The feature specifically show how an iPhone home screen responded when users typed their search queries. Instead of hovering through another engine, the Apple device displayed its own search results and directly headed to websites.
The changes on iPhone search engines that came along iOS 14 update, added up to the rumors that Apple could be working on its own search engine. Apple reportedly hired search engineers recently.
Rumors surfaced on the internet when news came out that the tech giant increased the activity from Apple's web crawler. The increase in such activity may result in an online material generation.
The report further explained that Apple's rumored move to develop its own search engine is its initial response to Google's ongoing antitrust battle.
Google Faces Antitrust Lawsuit
Google allegedly faces an antitrust case filed by the Department of Justice. The U.S. antitrust regulators accused the firm of abusing its dominant market position.
The DOJ alleged Google of monopolizing the search business space. The government department described the company's act as anticompetitive conduct.
Google pays Apple $US8-12 billion a year for it to be the default search engine on all iOS devices. The said deal raised concern from the antitrust regulators describing the deal to suffocate competition.
In a statement released to the public, the DOJ said that Apple's existing arrangements with Google creates a significant barrier to entry and expansion for rivals. The arrangement affects the competition between mobile search engines.
Read also: Google Finally Fixes Microsoft Office Issues, Lifts Web Editing Restrictions
Reports say that if the rumor that Apple is working on its own search engine, this could intensify the Cupertino based company's effort to beat Google at its own game. People in the industry said that Apple's web search capability could be a foundation for a fuller attack against Google.
Tim Cook in 2014 described Google's business model in such a way that when an online service is free, you are not the customer, you are the product. He added that Apple believes a great consumer experience should not come at the expense of a customer's privacy.
The Apple CEO referred to how Google handles customer's data comparing it to how Apple prioritizes the customer's data privacy.
Apple and Google on the same boat
On the other hand, Google is not the only one fighting an antiitrust battle at the moment. Apple also faces the same challenge that the Verge describes as one that could change the digital landscape.
Fortnite game makers, Epic Games recently sued Apple for antitrust violations. The company, decided to file a lawsuit after Apple turned down Fortnite game from the App Store.
Related Article: Apple iOS14 Anti-Tracking Feature Prevents Apps From Monitoring Online Behavior
