95 % of users never touch predefined settings, so being the default almost always equates to being the "winner".

What they should do instead is to let people select a search engine based on different criteria (including privacy friendliness). Most people would then still choose Google but the effect would be way less pronounced.

Microsoft Edge would like to have a word with you.

The only thing pointing people to DDG or some inferior search engine would be to frustrate non-technical people when their search results become "weird".

Not all search engines are the same. I use DDG by default but I admit there is a huge difference between the two search engines and I use !g more than I'd like to admit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers

>Microsoft Edge would like to have a word with you.

The 95% statistic only works when you introduce new, hidden option. People used Chrome/Firefox/whatever before Edge, they are used to it, and it's their default.

>Users have preferences and may change the engines they search with, not use Safari at all or be already using Google anyway.

Well Google ofcourse clearly diasgree given they are willing to pay 15 billion dollars.

Some people will use it just because it's the default. Apple is paid because of that. So Apple is selling user data, i.e. violating privacy for money

some =/= all,

which is the point I was addressing in my original comment.