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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

#681

Post by robertlagrant »

coldpie wrote: post #661
madeofpalk wrote: post #601

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't disagree, but I'm also not sure what the alternative is. Who's going to buy Chrome that also doesn't suffer from the same anti-trust problems? Who would want to buy Chrome? Who would want to fund Chrome? What browser would Android ship? In one view I kind of like the idea that Google would have to shop around and 'buy' a browser for its OS (competition good!), but also that seems ridiculous and easy to fall r…

> Who's going to buy Chrome that also doesn't suffer from the same anti-trust problems? Who would want to buy Chrome? Who would want to fund Chrome? Hmm. It's a good question, and I don't know the answer. I think there's a compelling argument that the problem is the scale of the harm. That is, even if the new owner has the same problems, the new owner won't also be the largest web company. So the problem still exists…

Google already funds Firefox and makes Chromium[0] as well, which seems like quite a lot of effort to go to as a single company in funding/enabling competition. Microsoft had to do far less to resolve their EU dispute: just give users other options for browsers on install of their OS.

[0] Unless if today you take Chromium and make your own browser, and it still has all the stuff in about logins and tracking.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#682

Post by mattatobin »

I'd like to remind you all.. You were the ones who abandoned Firefox and pushed Chrome and clones ruining Firefox and Mozilla as a whole by market dumbassery in the process.

NOW Microsoft is primed as they have defacto control of the windows chromium branch to go full force Internet Explorer with Edge .. i been seeing the features creep up toward that end. Re-interpretations of 25 year ideas that frankly would have been better then than now.

GOOD WORK TECHIES you just handed the web back to Microsoft. Guess that counts as part of .. some sort of great reset huh?

-Tobin, former Pale Moon Asshole

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#683

Post by fransje26 »

jeswin wrote: post #329

I'm totally fine with this, but I wish they would do the same thing with Apple. Google's platform, at the very least is open and I can run my own apps. One could ask, "How is Apple a Monopoly, and do they abuse that position?". In my view it is, since you can't have a business or build connected hardware without an iOS app. And as for abusing that position for gaining market share, there are just too many examples st…

> One could ask, "How is Apple a Monopoly, and do they abuse that position?"

I opened my local configurator to buy a 13" M3 MacBook Air.

   Memory, update from 16GB to 24GB -> +230€

   SSD, update from 256GB to 2TB -> +920€
Textbook monopolistic price gouging.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#684

Post by crazygringo »

verve_rat wrote: post #633
niutech wrote: post #555

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does splitting off Chrome as a separate company solve anything? They would still rely on Google for funding (like Mozilla) and being close friends they would do whatever Alphabet tells them to do. A better solution is to implement a bill like DMA in the EU to enforce competition among web browser vendors and fight monopolies.

But now Bing would have a chance of becoming the default search engine of the most used browser in the world. That's the difference.

Bing is already the default search engine on the default browser of the most used OS in the world.

If they're not competing well, then that's entirely their fault. Microsoft is not at any kind of disadvantage here.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#687

Post by SirHumphrey »

0xmarcin wrote: post #675
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.

Let's hope it won't be Oracle. ehm... jokes aside. I think a more reasonable way is to setup a foundation, composed of biggest players in tech, also companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, Mozilla Foundation, Linux Foundation, Apple and EFF. The foundation should steer the further development of Chrome. In that way Chrome will be owned by community just like e.g. Linux Kernel or standards like C++ lang spec. If Chrom…

I doubt Mozilla would like to be part of a foundation owning another browser.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#688

Post by hodder »

madeofpalk wrote: post #601
rkharsan64 wrote: post #510

People here seem to be underestimating the advantages that Google gets just because of Chrome: - When you sign in to Google, you sign in browser-wide. Google now gets all of your browsing data, perfect for advertising. (If you ever doubt it, go check out Google Takeout. You'll be shocked at the amount of data you see there.) - They have special APIs and features that they get to use, and nobody else. Only because the…

I don't disagree, but I'm also not sure what the alternative is. Who's going to buy Chrome that also doesn't suffer from the same anti-trust problems? Who would want to buy Chrome? Who would want to fund Chrome? What browser would Android ship? In one view I kind of like the idea that Google would have to shop around and 'buy' a browser for its OS (competition good!), but also that seems ridiculous and easy to fall r…

There doesn't have to be a buyer. They can spin it off as an independent company. Surely it can be a profitable enterprise on its own.

Re: DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome

#689

Post by cmrdporcupine »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #175
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. >…

> 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.

Out of all the parts of Google that take advantage of integration to pump up ad revenues, I'd say Chrome is the least of them?

If we're serious about this, separate search and ads. Force ads-Google to pay search-Google for data on the open market, and let other people pay for the same data, make it transparent, and let consumers see exactly what's happening.

While we're at it, separate Google's display ad network from its RTB facilities, basically carving DoubleClick back out again.

Then watch the stock tumble.

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