Google Reduced Revenue Share Payments to Verizon, Executive Says

Company slashed how much it pays for default in 2020 deal
Payments at center of Justice Department’s antitrust trial

A Verizon executive earlier testified that the company didn’t bother to seek out bids for other search engines like Microsoft Corp.’s Bing or DuckDuckGo Inc. when it renegotiated the deal. — A Verizon executive earlier testified that the company didn’t bother to seek out bids for other search engines like Microsoft Corp.’s Bing or DuckDuckGo Inc. when it renegotiated the deal.
Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

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By Leah Nylen

November 7, 2023 at 9:49 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Google cut the amount of money it paid to Verizon Communications Inc. to be the default search engine on its Android phones sold in the US in 2020, according to testimony as part of the Justice Department’s antitrust case against the search giant.

Alphabet Inc.’s Google renegotiated its agreement with Verizon in 2020, reducing the share of revenue earned through searches on Android phones to 10% from 20%, Justice Department attorney Jeremy Goldstein said in questioning Google executive Adrienne McCallister, who negotiated the deal with the largest US mobile carrier.