Feds may target chrome to be split off?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/feds-may-target-google-chrome-110050515.html

Thought it was an interesting idea and article.

Conversation 12 comments

  • simont

    Premium Member
    11 October, 2020 - 11:38 am

    <p>Forcing Google to sell Chrome doesn't make much sense. Chrome by itself doesn't make money. Forcing Google to sell part or all of the advertising part of the company does make sense. But since Ads pay for most of the rest of the company projects, the company Alphabet won't last long.</p>

    • bkkcanuck

      11 October, 2020 - 12:26 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#585832">In reply to simont:</a></em></blockquote><p>It might have one positive effect – since Chrome is getting to the point of what happened with IE where people programmed against it and not other browsers… Not sure who would buy it though that would not be problematic. </p>

    • Sprtfan

      11 October, 2020 - 12:44 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#585832">In reply to simont:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm not sure. Chrome could charge other companies to be the default search engine like Apple does with Safari? Moziilla has to make enough somehow to stay operational too. </p><p>Either way, wasn't an idea that was even on my radar so thought it was interesting.</p>

      • simont

        Premium Member
        11 October, 2020 - 5:45 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#585878">In reply to Sprtfan:</a></em></blockquote><p>Google could pay Chrome company to be the default search engine I suppose. But then Google pays Mozilla $400 million a year and they are struggling so I wonder if it would work.</p>

        • Sprtfan

          11 October, 2020 - 6:56 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#585914">In reply to simont:</a></em></blockquote><p>I think Google pays Apple around 12 billion to be the default on Safari? I think that would be closer to what Chrome could ask for due to the install base. All talk at this point any but think it could work. </p>

          • bkkcanuck

            11 October, 2020 - 10:44 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#585919">In reply to Sprtfan:</a></em></blockquote><p>That is much more than I thought, I had thought it was much lower — but maybe that was just for one platform. If it is $12 billion that they kick Apple's way, then that means the Services component of Apple's financial statements would lower the total Services revenue by 25% or so AND it would reduce the margin on services substantially (since the cost would be near nothing, no review process, no credit card charges – nothing)… (the margin for all of Services was between 64% and 67% – this would drop the margin on the remainder of Services to around 51.5% it were 64%. </p>

    • waethorn

      11 October, 2020 - 9:09 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#585832">In reply to simont:</a></em></blockquote><p>You're kidding right? By default, Chrome collects massive amounts of data for Google. Without Chrome, they're having to deal with the variable scenario of third-party browsers with possible anti-tracking technology already turned on. Safari, Edge, and Firefox all have some form of anti-tracking technology on by default, with some offering more extensive anti-tracking options that even block ads to the user (Edge and Firefox's strict settings will do this quite well while Safari doesn't have such a mode, but can be augmented with something like DuckDuckGo's privacy extension).</p><p><br></p><p>Plus, any sale of that division would also break Chrome OS's ties with Google.</p>

      • Sprtfan

        11 October, 2020 - 9:49 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#585832">In reply to simont:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p><em>Plus, any sale of that division would also break Chrome OS's ties with Google.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Seems obvious now but didn't think of the Chrome OS being part of this.</p>

  • Alastair Cooper

    12 October, 2020 - 2:51 pm

    <p>Perhaps Chromium could be handed over to a non-profit industry body like the Linux Foundation. Google could still develop and release it's own Chrome browser, but it would have no more special status with respect to development of the underlying Chromium project, much like with Microsoft and Brave.</p>

    • waethorn

      12 October, 2020 - 8:55 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#586039">In reply to Alastair_Cooper:</a></em></blockquote><p>The Linux Foundation won't take it because it's classified under an incompatible license agreement.</p>

    • simont

      Premium Member
      13 October, 2020 - 10:09 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#586039">In reply to Alastair_Cooper:</a></em></blockquote><p>Chromium foundation, with Google as a Platinum member :)</p>

  • anoldamigauser

    Premium Member
    13 October, 2020 - 9:57 am

    <p>The problem with Google is their data collection, and every one of their products is designed specifically to collect as much information as possible about the user, to feed the ad engine. The only way to rein in Google is to disrupt the collection of data, and separate it from the ad business, and I do not see that happening.</p>

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