Google's browser GM to court: Google is the only company that can run Chrome, calls the very idea to sell it ... as rivals come with price tag

Time of India

27-04-2025

Google
contends that its widely used Chrome web browser is uniquely intertwined with other Alphabet Inc. services, making it the only entity capable of offering its current level of features and functionality. This assertion, according to a report in Bloomberg, was made by
Parisa Tabriz
, Chrome's general manager, during her testimony Friday (April 25) in the ongoing Justice Department's antitrust case against the tech giant.
Why only Google can run Chrome browser
Speaking in Washington federal court before Judge Amit Mehta, who is presiding over a three-week hearing to determine remedies for Google's illegal search market monopoly, Tabriz emphasized the extensive collaboration involved in Chrome's development. "Chrome today represents 17 years of collaboration between the Chrome people and the rest of Google," she stated, adding that "trying to disentangle that is unprecedented."
Tabriz explained that several key Chrome features, such as its safe browsing mode and password compromise alerts, rely on shared Google infrastructure that extends beyond the browser itself. "I don't think it could be recreated," she asserted.
Her testimony came in response to the Justice Department's proposed remedies, which include forcing Google to sell off its Chrome browser and share some of the data it uses to generate search results. The DOJ has also asked Judge Mehta to prohibit Google from paying for search engine defaults, a ban that would encompass Google's AI products like Gemini, which the government argues benefited from the company's search monopoly.
Google's Chrome is the dominant browser globally, holding an estimated 66% market share as of March, according to Statcounter. While based on the open-source Chromium Project, which receives contributions from companies like Meta and Microsoft, Google maintains proprietary control over Chrome.
Chrome supports rival AI platforms
Tabriz also discussed Google's efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into Chrome. She noted that users can currently add extensions for
OpenAI
's ChatGPT and Perplexity AI, and that Gemini is presently the default AI assistant within the browser. "Most browsers are experimenting with AI and launching features," she said, pointing to Microsoft's integration of its AI Copilot into Bing and Edge.
Internal Google documents revealed the company's ambition to evolve Chrome into an "agentic browser" capable of automating tasks like form filling, research, and shopping using AI agents. In a 2024 email, Tabriz envisioned "a future of multiple agents, where Chrome integrates deeply with Gemini as a primary agent and one we'll prioritize and enable users to engage with multiple 3P agents on the web in both consumer and enterprise settings."
Google Chrome browser will sell for more than $50 billion, say rivals
Meanwhile, Gabriel Weinberg, CEO of privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo, reportedly testified earlier in the week said that Google's Chrome browser could fetch a price "upwards of $50 billion" if put on the market. Weinberg described this as a "back-of-the-envelope" calculation based on Chrome's extensive user base, noting it was beyond DuckDuckGo's acquisition capacity. This valuation exceeds a previous estimate of around $20 billion by a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst.
The significant potential price tag could pose a challenge for any companies interested in acquiring Chrome should Judge Mehta order a divestment. Executives from AI firms OpenAI and Perplexity had earlier expressed potential interest in purchasing Chrome if such a mandate were issued. The ongoing hearing will determine the extent of the remedies Google will face following the court's ruling on its search monopoly.