An unexpected offer shook the tech world and put Google on the ropes. Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity doubled its bid to acquire Chrome, the most used browser on the planet. The figure now totals $34.5 billion and comes at a critical time: US courts are pressing Google to divest the software due to monopolistic practices.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) maintains that the Mountain View company unfairly dominates the market by including its products by default on millions of Android devices. Therefore, it is demanding that Chrome be sold to ensure competition in web access.
According to The Wall Street Journal , Perplexity's initial offer was around $18 billion, but it has now been doubled with support from several investment funds. The move seeks to tempt Google just as its hegemony is being challenged. Today, Chrome accounts for nearly 70% of the global browser market, far ahead of its rivals.
Who is Perplexity? The company launched its search engine in December 2022, just weeks after ChatGPT's breakthrough. It responds in natural language and learns from user interests with a chat-like interface. It has even been reported that Apple has expressed interest in acquiring it to strengthen its artificial intelligence division.
Google described the court order as "extreme" and warned that selling Chrome would harm both users and American technological innovation. Chrome division head Parisa Tabriz said the browser would be damaged without the company's ecosystem, as 90% of its code has been developed in-house for a decade.
Meanwhile, Alphabet's chief counsel, Kent Walker, accused the DOJ of pushing a "radical interventionist" agenda. He also warned that if Chrome changes hands, trade secrets could be leaked to foreign companies, putting the digital security of millions of users at risk.
The fight has just begun. Meanwhile, names like Yahoo and OpenAI are also mentioned as potential bidders for the browser that now dominates the way millions of people connect every day.
