Yahoo is working on its own browser and shows interest in acquiring Google Chrome.
Yahoo, once a market leader in search engines, confirmed during a hearing in the case against Google that it is developing its own browser and that it is “interested in acquiring Chrome” if the opportunity arises.
Address bar is more important than search bar
CEO Brian Provost emphasizes the importance of web browsers: according to him, 60 percent of all search queries happen via a browser, often people even search directly through the address bar. “Chrome is the most important player on the web,” he says. According to Yahoo, acquiring Chrome could immediately double its market share in search, from three to over ten percent. He states that Yahoo is in ongoing discussions with other companies about the purchase, but doesn’t name any.
Who offers the most?
The U.S. Department of Justice wants to break up Google due to abuse of power in the search market. The most notable proposal is to sell Chrome, as the browser gives an unfair advantage to Google Search and thus undermines competition. OpenAI has also shown interest in an acquisition. DuckDuckGo has indicated that it cannot financially manage such an acquisition, writes The Verge.
Meanwhile, Yahoo itself is developing its own browser, a process that according to Provost will take six to nine months. An acquisition of Chrome would accelerate that process. Yahoo owner Apollo Global Management could allocate several billion to finance the deal.
Whether Google will ultimately have to part with its beloved browser and who will end up with it remains to be seen for now.
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