Yahoo Expresses Interest in Buying Chrome as Google Faces Breakup
Yahoo has officially expressed interest in acquiring Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser, if a U.S. federal court forces Google to divest it amid an ongoing antitrust lawsuit. The revelation came during testimony in Washington, as reported by Bloomberg.
Brian Provost, Yahoo’s General Manager for Search, told the court that Chrome is "arguably the most important strategic player on the web," and estimated the browser's sale price could reach tens of billions of dollars.
“We would be able to pursue it with Apollo [Global Management],” Provost stated, referencing Yahoo’s parent company.
Google’s Monopoly Under Fire
The three-week hearing follows last year's landmark ruling that Google had illegally monopolized the internet search market. The U.S. Department of Justice contends that Chrome is central to Google’s dominance, tying its browser tightly to its search ecosystem to stifle competition.
Google attorney John Schmidtlein pushed back against the proposed remedies, labeling them "extreme" and "fundamentally flawed," arguing that Google earned its market share fairly.
“Forcing Google to sell Chrome would unfairly advantage rivals who never earned their position through competition,” Schmidtlein claimed.
Other Potential Buyers: OpenAI and Perplexity
Yahoo isn’t alone. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and AI-driven search startup Perplexity have also expressed interest in acquiring a major web browser like Chrome.
According to TechCrunch, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas explained that owning a browser would help train its AI models more effectively by gathering broader user data across online activity.
“Browsing habits reveal critical data about users’ interests, purchases, and behavior — beyond what apps can see,” Srinivas said on the TBPN podcast, hinting that such insights could be used to enhance targeted advertising.
Strategic Implications: Chrome at the Center of Big Tech's Next Battle
If the U.S. court mandates Google to divest Chrome, it would represent one of the largest forced breakups in tech history, fundamentally reshaping the browser market and redistributing massive amounts of user data and control.
Yahoo’s potential acquisition would signal a dramatic resurgence attempt in the tech sector, while AI firms like OpenAI and Perplexity view browser control as a gateway to richer datasets needed to fuel the next generation of AI development.
With Chrome controlling roughly two-thirds of the global browser market, whoever ends up acquiring it would gain a powerful foothold over the future of the web.