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DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

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Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#231

Post by graeme »

Onavo wrote: post #228
legitster wrote: post #153

I'm all for competition and increasing consumer choices, but the government is really not making a case that this is supposed to help consumers. The only reason I still use Chrome is because I already use other Google products and they integrate well together. There are many other better options out there otherwise, and they are all free. Breaking out Chrome from Google will not in any way benefit me as a consumer. >…

Realistically nothing is going to happen. The incoming admin has made clear their distaste for Lina Khan. In other words, this is just an attempt at a swan song by the Biden White House.

This Trump admin lawsuit began this lawsuit, and Trump previously expressed distaste for Google. Things may change but they may not

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#232

Post by Wytwwww »

techjamie wrote: post #103
lemoncookiechip wrote: post #72

I'm very confused. Chrome is just Chromium with Google's own Telemetry. Chromium is open and maintained primarily by Google. Sure, there's a userbase, but you need a business model to take advantage of it in the first place because the benefit was the Telemetry (Google's) and Google's Ecosystem. Also, the article specifically mentions Chrome, NOT Chromium (which again, is open), so what incentive would Google have to…

As much as I dislike thinking it, out of the realistic possibilities for who could buy it, Microsoft is probably among the more preferable. Their primary income isn't from advertising, at least. Most other big players would be even more likely to continue with Google's direction of killing ad blockers. MS, to their credit, has never shown interest in doing that.

> Microsoft

So we'd end up with even less competition? As flawed as Edge is it still somewhat new/innovative/different features that Chrome doesn't because MS has to try and compete with Google.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#234

Post by ipaddr »

JadoJodo wrote: post #54
bityard wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the most chaotic alternate reality possible: Mozilla

In that same alternate reality: WPEngine is given control of Automattic/WordPress as a result of the lawsuits.

Firefox is sponsored primary by Google. WPEngine is not. It would be like Automattic giving control to Wordpress foundation.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#235

Post by Wytwwww »

leptons wrote: post #79
afavour wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People gravitate towards Chrome in part because of Google’s heavy marketing of it. Whenever I sign into Gmail in Safari I get a pop up about a “better experience” awaiting me.

Chrome is definitely a better experience than Safari, and not by a little bit. In many ways Safari is the worst browser out there right now. Most of its market share comes from the fact that Apple still forces Safari to be used on iOS no matter what browser you think you have installed. I think the DOJ should go after Apple harder on that than they are on Google, because nobody is forcing anyone to use Chrome the sam…

> still forces Safari to be used on iOS no matter what browser you think you have inst

What's the difference whether Chrome is using WebKit or Blink from the perspective of most users? How would they notice that and why would they care?

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#236

Post by hilbert42 »

itake wrote: post #198
jascination wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) does it though? It seems like the Google-specific parts of it are pretty ancillary to the whole experience 2) how is it different to Apples integration with Safari?

2) consumers cannot use products like Safari as their exclusive web browser. The web has decided that Chrome is the only browser worth supporting and the world needs to keep Chrome at-the-ready for when the alternative browser eventually breaks. For example, Chrome has replaced IE as the corporate browser, due to the integrations with Workspace accounts and Authentication mechanisms. In order to use the fingerID on m…

"The web has decided that Chrome is the only browser worth supporting…"

That only tells me that governments can no longer leave technical aspects of the internet (standards/APIs, etc.) to market forces. There are many historical precedents for such action such as flight/aircraft, RF spectrum management, road and maritime regulations, health/food standards, etc. There's a myriad of them.

Regulations would enforce interoperability and uniformity. To say this would stifle innovation is nonsense, it would be like saying that road rules and maritime law have stifled the development of motor vehicles and shipbuilding.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#237

Post by Despegar »

curiouscat321 wrote: post #5

Who would possibly buy Chrome? Letting any of the large tech companies purchase it (the only possible buyers) would just give someone else monopolistic power. Chrome can’t exist as a standalone business without being even more consumer hostile.

No one should. It should get an IPO. Chrome will make a lot of money from Google, Bing, ChatGPT, etc by selling default search.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#238

Post by mcint »

jascination wrote: post #183
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> only reason I still use Chrome is because I already use other Google products and they integrate well together This is the point. Google's products integrate with Chrome better than non-Google products. Including its ad platform.

1) does it though? It seems like the Google-specific parts of it are pretty ancillary to the whole experience 2) how is it different to Apples integration with Safari?

re: 1) logging into a Google domain in a chrome browser, logs the browser into the Google account [auto-profile-login] [gSignin], and by default, syncs browser history to the cloud, cloud-readable [gSync]. Google's own docs describe that you can add a passphrase "so Google can't read it". While Google can read it, they have an arguable duty to shareholders to read it.

- [auto-profile-login]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26200298

- [gSignin]: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/185277

- [gSync]: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/165139?hl=en

> Keep your info private with a passphrase With a passphrase, you can use Google's cloud to store and sync your Chrome data without letting Google read it.

Thank you appealing to reasonable expectations, but Google, as their own docs make clear, ties uses together quite aggressively^W conveniently.

2) Whatabout Apple and Safari? Apple doesn't offer an email service supported in part by scanning email content for ads.

Apple has gone to some lengths to engineer a system where they can credibly(-ish) claim to "protect your privacy when you browse the web in Safari," [Apple private relay].

- [Apple private relay]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102602

Google re-engineers their browser to prevent ad-blockers from working.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#239

Post by bigger_cheese »

linuxhansl wrote: post #104

Slightly off-topic: I am always baffled with the widespread use of Chrome. On all my machines (including work) I use Firefox. Even on Android I disabled Chrome, so that the feed will have to use Firefox. Chrome is neither faster nor more convenient than Firefox, so it is a bit of a mystery to me - I guess on Android it comes as the default.

Netflix was tipping point for me, at the time Chrome was only browser on Linux that let me watch Netflix.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#240

Post by canadianfella »

graeme wrote: post #230
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> only reason I still use Chrome is because I already use other Google products and they integrate well together This is the point. Google's products integrate with Chrome better than non-Google products. Including its ad platform.

But where is the consumer benefit?

[dead]
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