DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome • Hacker News Board

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#281

Post by typeofhuman » Tue, Nov 19, 2024, 3:19 AM UTC

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. >…

This would be like if Tesla made the roads and the roads could recharge batteries but only to Tesla vehicles and you as a Tesla owner saying this is not anti-competitive.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#282

Post by dismalaf » Tue, Nov 19, 2024, 3:22 AM UTC

mplewis9z wrote: post #194

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?

> how is it different to Apples integration with Safari? It’s not, other than Google has a way larger market share (especially if you count Edge/Opera/Brave/etc.) and has been (ab)using that position to push web standards in a direction that favors their business and that other browser vendors have to follow to keep up. If Safari had Chrome’s market share and was throwing their weight around like Google does and Micr…

Nothing more evil than pushing standards and even sharing the source code. How dare they...

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#283

Post by dismalaf » Tue, Nov 19, 2024, 3:24 AM UTC

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #195

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?

> how is it different to Apples integration with Safari? Apple hasn't been found to have a monopoly like Google has [1]. [1] https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-search-engine-ve...

The DOJ is weird. They're so concerned with whether or not a company is a monopoly, not whether or not they're abusing their power.

Look at the EU, levying multiple billion dollar fines against Apple. But in the US, Apple is free to abuse customers since their market share is a few % short of a monopoly...

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#284

Post by dismalaf » Tue, Nov 19, 2024, 3:28 AM UTC

nielsbot wrote: post #261

UncleMeat wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For years people have complained "ugh Google is selling your data, how awful" and here is the government seeking to mandate that Google sell your data! There's no way that this is the right remedy.

How so?

Considering Chrome is just Chromium + a lil telemetry, forcing them to sell Chrome is akin to forcing them to sell consumer data. The Chromium bits are OSS, so the only proprietary and sellable bit is the user data really.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#285

Post by o999 » Tue, Nov 19, 2024, 3:36 AM UTC

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?

Wouldn't consumer like it if they could use Google services on any browser with the same experience without having to give up other browsers? I use firefox mainly but I have to use Chrome when I use Google Meet because Google provide more features and better performance when you are on Chrome (intentionally, not because of other browsers limitations)

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#286

Post by philwelch » Tue, Nov 19, 2024, 4:50 AM UTC

jsnell wrote: post #277

philwelch wrote: post #78

Is this really going to happen in the next 62 days?

No, of course not. The article has the timeline. Hearings in April 2025, decision in August 2025. (Followed by years of appeals, I'm sure.)

In 62 days we will have a completely different Department of Justice that is unlikely to follow the current administration’s approach to these issues, so I’m surprised that they’re even bothering.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#287

Post by eviks » Tue, Nov 19, 2024, 5:01 AM UTC

justahuman74 wrote: post #18

What is the actual asset to buy precisely? The code is already mostly open. You'd be paying for a user base who could leave at any moment?

Users could switch from Google search at any moment, would you say search is not an actual asset to buy?

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#288

Post by aurareturn » Tue, Nov 19, 2024, 5:13 AM UTC

eviks wrote: post #287

justahuman74 wrote: post #18

What is the actual asset to buy precisely? The code is already mostly open. You'd be paying for a user base who could leave at any moment?

Users could switch from Google search at any moment, would you say search is not an actual asset to buy?

They can already do that.

Chrome is funded by Google search.

Why would anyone buy it without Google search?

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#289

Post by eviks » Tue, Nov 19, 2024, 5:18 AM UTC

aurareturn wrote: post #288

eviks wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Users could switch from Google search at any moment, would you say search is not an actual asset to buy?

They can already do that. Chrome is funded by Google search. Why would anyone buy it without Google search?

Yes, they can, so it's not an asset???

The answer to your question is simple - because you can get funded by Google to keep its search the default

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#290

Post by jsnell » Tue, Nov 19, 2024, 6:43 AM UTC

philwelch wrote: post #286

jsnell wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, of course not. The article has the timeline. Hearings in April 2025, decision in August 2025. (Followed by years of appeals, I'm sure.)

In 62 days we will have a completely different Department of Justice that is unlikely to follow the current administration’s approach to these issues, so I’m surprised that they’re even bothering.

This has to be the case of the lifetime to anyone at the DOJ that worked on it. Of course they want to see it to the end. And there's no reason to believe that the approach would be different.

Like, who exactly in the new administration is a fan of Google? The Republicans have complained for years about a perceived bias. Trump vowed during the campaign that he'd prosecute Google if he won re-election.

They'll absolutely continue driving that case, if nothing else to use as leverage to try to force Google into making pro-conservative algorithmic changes.