During the ongoing antitrust trial against Google, testimony revealed that the tech giant is providing Samsung with substantial monthly payments to have its Gemini AI application preinstalled on Samsung devices, according to a report from Bloomberg. As Judge Amit Mehta has declared Google’s search engine an illegal monopoly, the company’s legal representatives are currently in discussions with the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding appropriate penalties.
On Monday, Peter Fitzgerald, Google’s vice president of platforms and device partnerships, testified that the payments to Samsung commenced in January. This was shortly after Google was found to be in violation of antitrust regulations, particularly for similar arrangements with other firms like Apple and Samsung regarding search functionalities. Notably, when Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S25 series in January, it featured Gemini as the default AI assistant, supplanting its own Bixby assistant.
The Information reports that Fitzgerald also mentioned during his testimony that other companies had attempted to negotiate deals with Samsung to have their AI applications preinstalled, including Perplexity and Microsoft. A DOJ lawyer highlighted that the letters from Google attempting to revise its agreements with device manufacturers were only dispatched last week, just prior to the commencement of the trial. Internal documents presented indicated that Google was contemplating more stringent distribution contracts, which would require partners to preinstall Gemini alongside its Search and Chrome services, according to The Information.
Fitzgerald informed the court that the arrangement regarding Gemini is a two-year contract, which includes fixed monthly payments along with a share of advertising revenue generated by the Gemini app. DOJ attorney David Dahlquist described this fixed payment as an “enormous sum,” although the exact amount remains undisclosed.
Should the DOJ achieve its objectives from these proceedings, it could lead to Google being prohibited from future default placement agreements, necessitate the divestment of Chrome, and compel the company to license a significant portion of the data that sustains Google Search. Google contends that it should only be required to relinquish its default placement deals.
