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A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has certified a class action against Apple over claims that its default search agreement with Google stifled competition and drove up advertising prices. Originally filed in 2021 by Spark Event Rentals Ltd., the suit covers Canadian residents who bought Google search ads dating back to 2005, when the companies first agreed to make Google the default engine on Safari in exchange for revenue sharing. [1][2]
The plaintiff dropped Google as a defendant following a dispute involving an arbitration clause, leaving Apple as the sole defendant. Justice Thomas determined there are sufficient grounds to examine whether billions in revenue-share payments discouraged Apple from building a competing search engine. The ruling relies partly on testimony from Apple executives Eddy Cue and John Giannandrea given during a U.S. antitrust trial against Google. Apple argued the deal was a legitimate distribution arrangement and described itself as an innocent bystander, while certification does not establish liability or require immediate changes to default search settings. [1][2]
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has certified a class action against Apple over allegations that its search agreement with Google stifled competition and inflated advertising prices. Here are the details.
via 9to5Mac
A court in the Canadian province of British Columbia has certified a class action against Apple over its search engine agreement with Google. The plaintiffs allege that the agreement restricts competition and makes digital advertising more expensive. The case can now proceed as a class action, but the allegations have not yet been decided.
via Notebookcheck