Yahoo eyes bid for Google Chrome as US considers browser breakup

Yahoo plans to bid for Google Chrome if a court orders its sale, calling it key to web dominance.

Internet company Yahoo has confirmed interest in acquiring Google’s Chrome browser if a US court mandates its divestment, marking a potentially dramatic shakeup in the tech landscape.

Brian Provost, general manager of Yahoo Search, testified on Thursday during an antitrust hearing in Washington that the company — backed by private equity firm Apollo Global Management — would consider purchasing Chrome, valuing it in the "tens of billions of dollars."

“Chrome is arguably the most important strategic player on the web,” Provost told the court. “We would be able to pursue it with Apollo.”

The remarks came during a three-week hearing in the US Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc. In a landmark ruling last year, District Judge Amit Mehta found that Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in internet search.

The current proceedings are focused on potential remedies, including whether Google should be forced to sell off Chrome.

The Justice Department and a coalition of US states have argued that divesting the Chrome browser is necessary to reduce Google’s dominance and restore competitive balance in the digital advertising and search ecosystem.

Yahoo, once the dominant player in online search, has been working to revive its technology assets since being acquired by Apollo in 2021.

According to Provost, Yahoo is developing its own browser but remains open to acquiring one already established in the market.

Interest in Chrome extends beyond Yahoo. Earlier in the week, Nick Turley, the chief of ChatGPT at OpenAI, also expressed intent to bid for Chrome if it became available.

“Yes, we would, as would many other parties,” Turley said, underlining the strategic value the browser holds across the tech sector.

The trial could set major precedent for antitrust enforcement in the digital age, with Judge Mehta expected to deliver his remedy ruling later this year.