Google pays more than NASA's annual budget to keep its search default everywhere

Google paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to be the default search engine everywhere. That‘s more money than NASA’s 2023 budget of $25.4 billion. About 70% of Google’s payment was to Apple for keeping Google Search the default on its devices, which exceeds the $17.5 billion ESA is spending over 3 years.

Sources:

1. $26.3 billion: https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/27/23934961/google-antitrust-trial-defaults-search-deal-26-3-billion

2. $25.4 billion: https://www.planetary.org/space-policy/nasas-fy-2023-budget

3. Payment to Apple: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/26/technology/google-apple-search-spotlight.html

4. $17.5 billion: https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/esa-gets-big-increase-commits-to-iss-through-2030-and-exomars-rover-in-2028