Google Chrome May Face Sale Amid Antitrust Trial; Yahoo and OpenAI Show Interest

Google Chrome, the internet’s most popular web browser, may soon face a forced sale, as antitrust pressures mount against Google. According to a U.S. publication, during the ongoing trial against Google by the U.S. Department of Justice, judges and tech experts have repeatedly suggested that selling Chrome could help dismantle Google’s market dominance.

During the latest court proceedings, a senior Yahoo executive stated that if the court orders Google to sell Chrome, Yahoo would bid to acquire the browser. The executive emphasized that Chrome could be worth billions of dollars, given its critical role as a leading platform for internet searching.

Judges had previously proposed the idea last year that selling Chrome could curb Google’s monopoly. While no official court order has yet mandated Google to sell Chrome, interest is already rising — with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and now Yahoo, both expressing willingness to purchase it.

The trial against Google is expected to continue for several more weeks. Should the court rule against Google, the tech giant may be compelled to sell Chrome.

Meanwhile, other tech giants are facing similar scrutiny. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is also under legal pressure to divest from Instagram and WhatsApp. Additionally, TikTok’s American operations have already been legislatively mandated to be sold within the next two months, or face a ban in the U.S.