Why Apple rejected DuckDuckGo, and kept Google search on iPhones

Apple held discussions with DuckDuckGo to potentially replace Google as the default search engine for private browsing mode on Safari, according to unsealed court transcripts. DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg stated that they had multiple meetings with Apple executives to discuss the possibility. However, Apple executive John Giannandrea testified that to his knowledge, Apple had not considered the switch. Giannandrea expressed concerns about DuckDuckGo’s reliance on Bing for search information, which potentially compromises user privacy. He suggested that more due diligence would be necessary before any decision was made.