Yahoo has joined the list of potential buyers for Google Chrome, after ChatGPT maker OpenAI expressed interest earlier this week.
The news comes as Google may soon be forced to divest Chrome. Last year, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly” in the search space, employing anti-competitive practices in the process. Though a sale is not yet confirmed, it’s one of several proposed remedies currently on the table.
Yahoo’s Interest and Strategic Plans
Brian Provost, the general manager for Yahoo Search, said Chrome is “arguably the most important strategic player on the web” in a recent hearing, first reported by Bloomberg. Yahoo “would be able to pursue” the acquisition with the support of Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm that acquired Yahoo in 2021, Provost says.
Yahoo is also currently developing its own web browser as part of plans to “revitalize” its search offering, and would also consider the purchase of other browsers.
The news comes after ChatGPT head of product Nick Turley said OpenAI is interested in buying the browser, and told the court how having access to Google’s technology would help improve the quality of OpenAI’s products. OpenAI has increasingly been prioritizing its own search offering since the launch of SearchGPT last year.
The Long-standing Rivalry Between Yahoo and Google
Though their paths have diverged, Yahoo and Google have a long shared history in the world of web search. Yahoo was at one point the most popular search engine in the world, before slowly losing its market share to Google in the early 2000s.
Google’s legal team isn’t letting the prized browser go without a fight, however. Google has argued that a sale of Chrome would endanger the future of Chromium, the open-source browser that serves as the foundation for Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Samsung Internet. It’s also argued that data security issues could arise if Chrome was to be transferred to a new or foreign owner.
Other, more left-field suitors for Chrome have emerged, including AI start-up Perplexity, which also launched a long-shot bid for TikTok. But it’s unclear how a company of that size could fund the purchase of such a popular web browser.
What The Author Thinks
It’s clear that Google is facing a tough challenge in divesting Chrome, not just from a legal and financial perspective, but also in managing the potential fallout for its broader ecosystem. While the sale of Chrome could open up opportunities for competitors, there are concerns about data security and the long-term sustainability of an open-source model without Google’s backing. Even with buyers like Yahoo and OpenAI expressing interest, there’s no easy way to ensure the browser remains as reliable and secure as it is today.
Featured image credit: Simon Tunbridge via Flickr
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