In turn, reports have surfaced that Perplexity AI has placed a $34.5 billion offer to purchase Google Chrome, a major change in the tech landscape if true. This is all happening while Google parent Alphbet is under significant antitrust fire in the US and internationally. Along with their Google Chrome offer, Perplexity AI also promised to keep the open-source Chromium project alive.
Google’s Antitrust Challenges
Antitrust lawsuits against Alphabet and Google have multiplied in recent years. The European General Court largely upheld on 10 November 2022 a fine of EUR 4.3 billion imposed by the European Commission against Google for abusing its dominance in the Android market by pre-installing Google Search and Google Chrome on devices.
The US DOJ took Google to trial in September 2023 for its alleged anti-competitive practices employed to ensure it stays as the default search engine on browsers and on smartphones by paying partners like Apple to do so. Similar antitrust lawsuits filed by state attorneys general have targeted Google’s advertising business and exclusive deals.
US District Court Judge Amit Mehta determines in September 2024 that Google has an illegal monopoly in search, followed by a remedy trial that runs through May 2025. The DOJ has since advocated for Alphabet to hand over the Google Chrome browser, as well as the Chromium project as a whole.
Yahoo, OpenAI and Perplexity AI are some of the companies which have shown interest in acquiring Google Chrome at some stage, claims the report. All of this proprietary technology is baked into the Chrome browser, and Google has argued that to sell Chrome could put privacy and security at risk.
Judge Mehta will issue a final judgment no later than Aug. 2025, after which Alphabet is expected to appeal and try to get an injunction.
Perplexity AI has Bid Google Chrome for $34.5B
In a report by The Wall Street Journal, Google’s Chrome bid on Perplexity AI was worth $34.5 billion, nearly two times Perplexity AI’s $18 billion valuation. The offer is no slouch either, as industry analysts value Chrome at between $20 billion and $50 billion.
In its proposal, Perplexity AI pledged to maintain the open-source base of Chrome, which is Chromium. That might help ease concerns of regulators and even developers around the long-term sustainability and accessibility of the browser.
For now, Google has shown no signs of being willing to take the offer, and industry watchers say a deal is unlikely to wrap up anytime soon. But this month, the Perplexity AI Google Chrome foray really highlights the power play that is playing out as part of the wider tech rivalry and race for control of the browser market.
FAQs
Perplexity AI has apparently made a $34.5 billion run at acquiring Google Chrome with a promise to maintain the Chromium project.
According to the US department of Justice Alphabet should sell Chrome to remedy search market antitrust violations.
This acquisition is probably not going to happen, for now at least, as Google has not shown any interest in accepting the bid.
