Summary: In an ongoing antitrust case, Google testified to paying Samsung a monthly fee for installing Gemini on Galaxy devices. The actual amounts have not been disclosed.
Google has long enjoyed dominance in the search engine space. Now that it looks to repeat this feat for AI, Google is paying Samsung to pre-install Gemini on its Galaxy smartphones.
This information was revealed during the proceedings of an antitrust case against the company. The US Justice Department is currently prosecuting Google over its monopoly on search. And it seems that their concerns are well-founded.
The testimony
Peter Fitzgerald, the vice president of Google’s platforms and device partnerships, testified under oath in a Washington court this Monday and Tuesday. He confirmed that the company has been making monthly payments to Samsung to ensure Gemini comes pre-installed on its phones.
The payments started in January under a two-year contract. In addition, Google also pays Samsung a cut of the ad revenue from Gemini.
These details make it clear that Gemini’s inclusion on Samsung isn’t simply because of its features or performance. Google has been actively bribing the company to feature its AI product front and center. While the amounts being paid are not clear, they are likely to be significant.
Google’s antitrust woes
The US has robust antitrust laws that give all companies a level playing field. The laws specifically forbid companies from unfairly gaining an advantage over their peers and preventing competition by monopolizing a platform.
Google was already found to be guilty of monopolistic practices in the antitrust case last year. The current proceedings are being held to determine the penalties and changes to be imposed on the company.
The Department of Justice is asking for Google’s services to be broken up entirely. This would mean Google would have to divest Chrome and Android into separate companies, with its browser and search engine no longer being the default.
Google is obviously attempting to prevent this from happening, but so far, its arguments have not been promising. And as this testimony shows, Google is expanding its problematic practices to the newly developing AI space as well.
Why is this important?
The AI competition has been heating up in recent months. Microsoft’s Copilot and Google’s Gemini are in direct competition, and now China’s DeepSeek has entered the market too.
And that’s a good thing, since increased competition leads to the development of better products. Microsoft has already managed to beat Google in many metrics, with Samsung and LG TVs using Copilot as the AI assistant for their newer televisions.
However, if Google is allowed to pay its way into becoming the default option on other platforms, it would kill the innovation in this space. This is why the US government considers it crucial to prevent one company’s monopoly over the AI field.
2025-04-23 15:10:15