DOJ to ask judge to force Google to sell off Chrome, Bloomberg News reports
neuters.de
The U.S. Department of Justice will ask a judge to force Alphabet's Google to sell off its Chrome internet browser, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the plans.

Note: Original report by Bloomberg, article by Reuters proxied by Neuters to bypass paywall.

  • normalexit@lemmy.worldEnglish
    63·
    1 day ago

    This seems like a sensible consumer protection to not let the ad company control the biggest web browser. I won’t hold my breath, but I’m glad they are trying something.

    AWS should also be split from Amazon.

    • cultsuperstar@lemmy.worldEnglish
      412·
      1 day ago

      Why force one company to sell off their browser? Shouldn’t MS have to sell Edge and Apple sell Safari?

      • kiagam@lemmy.worldEnglish
        23·
        1 day ago

        Microsoft having IE/Edge as the default browser has already cost them in the past. I don’t think Apple faced anything with Safari.

        The problem today with chrome is how prevalent it is and how that influences the main product of the internet (advertising), which happens to be Google’s mais product too. Apple can at least make the argument that they make their money with the hardware, not the browser.

        Either way, I think all OS should at least give you a list of browsers on first use to choose from.

        • cultsuperstar@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          3 hours ago

          Right, I remember the MS/IE issue in the past. I never understood why Apple wasn’t held to the same scrutiny. They don’t have the corporate hold like Windows does, so maybe that was why.

          So if Google has to sell off Chrome, what happens to Chromebooks? It runs on ChromeOS with Chrome being the main interface. Could Google not spin off Chrome as another company?

        • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          1 day ago

          Either way, I think all OS should at least give you a list of browsers on first use to choose from.

          I like this idea if only because it means I don’t have the default web browser hanging around only ever having been used to download another web browser.