As Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google faces mounting criticism over its AI-powered search changes and intensifying antitrust scrutiny, rival DuckDuckGo says frustrated users are increasingly looking for alternatives.
DuckDuckGo Indicates Surge In Users Amid Google AI Search Push
On Tuesday, DuckDuckGo aimed for Google's evolving search experience, posting on X that users were no longer "just complaining" about the company's AI search overhaul but were actively switching platforms.
"Yesterday alone, our week over week installs surged 30% in the U.S.," the company wrote, adding, "Momentum is growing. It's time to Fire Google."
Google did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
The post comes as Google continues expanding AI-generated summaries and answers across Search, a move that has triggered criticism from some users who argue the feature makes results less useful and harder to navigate.
Google still dominates the global search market. According to Statcounter GlobalStats data for April 2026, Google held roughly 90% of the worldwide search engine market share, while Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT)-backed Bing stood at about 5%. DuckDuckGo accounted for less than 1%.
Apple's Past DuckDuckGo Talks Resurface
In 2023, court disclosures revealed that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) had explored making DuckDuckGo the default search engine for Safari's private browsing mode in 2018 and 2019.
DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg reportedly held nearly 20 meetings and calls with Apple executives regarding the proposal.
However, Apple executive John Giannandrea ultimately rejected the idea, reportedly arguing that DuckDuckGo's dependence on Bing search infrastructure could still expose user information to Microsoft, potentially undermining its privacy-focused branding.
Reports had also suggested Apple explored acquiring Bing around 2020 as it evaluated alternatives to Google search.
Google Faces Growing Regulatory Pressure
The renewed attention arrives as Google battles legal and regulatory pressure on both sides of the Atlantic.
European regulators are reportedly considering major penalties against the company under the Digital Markets Act.
Google is also appealing a U.S. federal antitrust ruling that found the tech giant unlawfully maintained its search dominance through multibillion-dollar default search agreements.
Price Action: Alphabet Class A shares rose 1.54% to close at $388.88 on Tuesday, while Class C gained 1.44% to finish at $384.84, with both Alphabet share classes slipping slightly in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.
According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, GOOG holds a robust Quality score of 94.99% and continues to show a positive trend across short, medium and long-term time frames.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Aria sandi hasim on Shutterstock.com
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