Google opponent declares willingness to snap up Chrome

(MENAFN) Yahoo is prepared to acquire Google’s popular web browser, Chrome, if a US federal court orders Google to divest from it due to anti-monopoly concerns, according to Bloomberg. Brian Provost, the general manager for Yahoo Search, testified at Google’s ongoing trial in Washington, stating that Chrome is “arguably the most important strategic player on the web.” Yahoo estimates that the browser’s sale price could reach tens of billions of dollars.

Provost mentioned that Yahoo, backed by its parent company Apollo Global Management, would be ready to pursue the purchase if the court mandates a sale. This testimony came during a three-week hearing aimed at addressing Google’s dominance in the internet search market, with Chrome playing a significant role, according to the US Department of Justice. The trial began following a 2024 ruling that determined Google had illegally monopolized the search market.

Google’s attorney, John Schmidtlein, has rejected the government’s proposed remedies, calling them “extreme” and “fundamentally flawed.” He argued that Google achieved its market position fairly and that selling Chrome would unfairly benefit competitors.

Other companies interested in acquiring Chrome include OpenAI, the developer behind ChatGPT, and the AI search engine Perplexity. Perplexity’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, has expressed the desire for a web browser to help enhance their AI model by collecting additional user data beyond their app. He noted that understanding users' browsing habits would improve user profiling and enable targeted ads in their ‘discover’ feed.

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