Re:DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome
by robertlagrant on Tuesday November 19, 2024 @09:32AM
(#42183831)
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
by madeofpalk on Tuesday November 19, 2024 @09:41AM
(#42183929)
When the DOJ asks to split off Chrome from Google, I presume that meant/included Chromium as well. They're basically the same thing.
Why would Google continue to fund Chromium development without Chrome?
Re:DOJ will push Google to sell off Chrome
by robertlagrant on Wednesday November 20, 2024 @04:01AM
(#42192017)
I wasn't saying they would or should. I'm saying they already do more than anyone else to promote competition of their browser.
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, yes, but becomes smaller. In particular having the #1 web browser strongly tied to the #1 web company has a lot of problematic dynamics that the #1 web browser being owned by the #25 web company doesn't. Maybe that company would be more open to forming beneficial relationships with the #2 and #3 web companies, for example.