The U.S. Justice Department has accused Alphabet Inc's Google of maintaining a monopoly by allegedly paying over $10 billion annually to secure its position as the default search engine on web browsers and mobile devices. The government alleges that Google's actions stifle competition and hamper innovation in the online search market. Google reportedly paid Apple between $4 billion - $7 billion to maintain its default position on Safari and over $1 billion to wireless carriers to secure its status as the default on Android smartphones. If the Justice Department prevails, it may seek remedies in the second phase, potentially separating Alphabet's search business from other products.