Google's proposed $34.5 billion buyout of Chrome confronts antitrust scrutiny amid ongoing court debates
Google Chrome's Future in Question: Antitrust Ruling May Force Sale
Google's popular web browser, Chrome, is currently not up for sale, but recent antitrust rulings in the United States could potentially change that. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and courts have found Google guilty of maintaining a monopoly not only in internet search but also in digital ad markets [2][4][3].
A judge is expected to soon decide whether Google must divest Chrome to break up this monopoly. This prospect has triggered significant discussion and bids from competitors.
For instance, Perplexity AI, an AI-powered search engine that launched in 2022, has made a public bid of around $34.5 billion to acquire Chrome [1][3][5]. The proposed sale is part of the antitrust legal process intended to reduce Google's control over web browsing and search markets.
Chrome is crucial because it is the dominant browser and closely tied to Google's Search and advertising ecosystem. A forced sale would be a major disruption for the company and the wider internet landscape [2][4].
Google denies being a monopoly and has argued publicly that selling Chrome could harm users by making the browser obsolete or more vulnerable to cyberattacks [2][4].
While the final decision from the court is still pending as of August 2025, various rivals and private equity firms are positioning themselves as potential buyers should the court order a divestiture [1][2][4]. It's important to note that Perplexity AI's bid seems unlikely to go through, as the company's own valuation is only slightly more than half the value of its offer.
The controversy surrounding Perplexity AI is not new. The tool has been accused of plagiarism by Wired, Forbes, and some users on Reddit [6][7]. However, Perplexity claims that its search engine shares results backed by verifiable sources [8].
Google has also been embroiled in an antitrust case in the United States, with a federal judge ruling that Google's payments to companies to make Google the default search engine violated antitrust law [9].
In summary:
- Chrome is not currently for sale by Google, but
- A U.S. court ruling in an ongoing antitrust case may force Google to sell it,
- This would be a remedy to address Google’s monopolistic practices in search and ads,
- Competitors like Perplexity AI have expressed interest and made bids,
- Google opposes the forced sale, citing risks to security and users,
- A court decision is expected imminently, but any sale would take time to finalize [1][2][3][4][5].
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