New York: As Google faces a landmark search monopoly trial with the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ), a new twist has emerged in the ongoing case. Companies are now lining up to potentially buy Chrome, one of Google’s flagship products, should the court rule that Google must divest it. Yahoo has officially entered the race, with a senior executive expressing the company’s willingness to bid for the browser. Brian Provost, Yahoo Search’s General Manager, suggested that if the browser were to be sold, it could fetch tens of billions of dollars.
In remarks made during the trial, Provost revealed Yahoo’s keen interest, stating that around 60% of search queries are conducted through web browsers, often directly from the address bar. With this in mind, Yahoo has been quietly developing a prototype browser since last summer, exploring the feasibility of launching one commercially. However, Provost emphasized that acquiring an established browser like Chrome would provide a faster route to expansion, calling Chrome “arguably the most important strategic player on the web”.
If Yahoo were to acquire Chrome, Provost believes the company could increase its search market share from 3% to double digits, significantly enhancing Yahoo’s position in the competitive search engine landscape. Despite the browser’s high potential value, Provost assured that Yahoo’s parent company, Apollo Global Management, would help secure the necessary funds to make the purchase.
Yahoo isn’t the only company interested in acquiring Chrome. Executives from OpenAI and Perplexity, both of whom appeared during the trial, also expressed willingness to purchase the browser. DuckDuckGo, though subpoenaed during the trial, admitted it lacks the resources to make such a purchase.
If the court mandates Google to sell Chrome, the company would also be required to part with Chromium, the open-source platform that powers Chrome and several other major browsers, including Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. Google has vehemently opposed this potential move, warning that the new owner could monetize Chromium or fail to maintain it properly, causing significant disruptions across the web browser ecosystem. The DoJ, on the other hand, contends that Google’s dominance in search and control over essential web infrastructure could give it undue influence over emerging technologies like generative AI.
While Chrome is not officially up for sale, the situation has created a bidding atmosphere, with competitors eagerly awaiting the court’s decision.
