Perplexity wants to buy Google Chrome for $34.5 billion, twice the company's value (9to5google.com)
from sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al to technology@beehaw.org on 12 Aug 2025 18:24
https://lazysoci.al/post/32008753

#technology

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Hirom@beehaw.org on 12 Aug 2025 18:25 next collapse

I have mixed feeling about this.

sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al on 12 Aug 2025 18:48 next collapse

Please share

Midnitte@beehaw.org on 12 Aug 2025 19:06 next collapse

Turning the most popular browser further into an AI hellscape.

Influencing how every other browser (minus Firefox’s minuscule marketshare) functions via the engine.

On the other hand, no longer under googles control.

anachronist@midwest.social on 13 Aug 2025 03:14 collapse

Google is doing/will be doing all this anyway, combined with a search, maps, youtube, email, etc monopoly.

Midnitte@beehaw.org on 13 Aug 2025 11:49 collapse

I did list no longer being controlled by Google 🤷🏻‍♂️

SebaDC@discuss.tchncs.de on 12 Aug 2025 19:44 collapse

In order to better understand the user, their prompts, etc and to be able to fully modify websites, these AIs need access to the DOM.

This is made much more easier if you integrate your AI to a browser.

So, in theory, the AI could understand what your are currently researching, profile your interest, and provide you answers before you even made a prompt.

Midnitte@beehaw.org on 12 Aug 2025 21:09 collapse

Just imagine, a corporate hellscape inspired by Minority Report!

<buzzlightyearmeme

SebaDC@discuss.tchncs.de on 12 Aug 2025 21:23 collapse

“Slaves… Slaves everywhere…”

Mwa@thelemmy.club on 12 Aug 2025 19:19 next collapse

Same

HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club on 12 Aug 2025 23:03 collapse

I don’t. This is fundamentally worse than Google owning Chrome.

Aquaphobi@lemmy.zip on 13 Aug 2025 02:42 next collapse

What’s wrong with perplexity owning chrome?

HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club on 13 Aug 2025 11:27 collapse

The reason to own a browser is to shape the Internet to your company’s favor.

Internet Explorer was designed to ensure web apps would be hard to build, helping to ensure the Windows monopoly.

Chrome was designed to open the Internet, but tie it to Google search and keep Internet browsing lucrative for advertising, helping to benefit Ad Sense.

An AI startup owning Chrome is probably going to be the biggest privacy nightmare since Copilot.

Aquaphobi@lemmy.zip on 13 Aug 2025 12:41 collapse

Thank you for the insight

Sina@beehaw.org on 13 Aug 2025 09:52 collapse

I think Chrome inevitably losing a lot of market share could be a pretty good result for the web.

HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club on 13 Aug 2025 11:28 collapse

Will it? Twitter is a Nazi bar, but it still has a large customer base.

belated_frog_pants@beehaw.org on 13 Aug 2025 12:20 collapse

And nothing of value would be lost when the nazi bar closes down

HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club on 13 Aug 2025 12:37 collapse

But the Nazi bar still has patrons.

belated_frog_pants@beehaw.org on 13 Aug 2025 14:26 collapse

And they are nazis and i dont care if they lose their place and i dont care of the owner of a nazi bar profits. Evil does not deserve a seat at the table

HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club on 13 Aug 2025 15:06 collapse

I’m speaking in context to Sina’s comment. Because a company/service becomes shitty doesn’t mean that the company/service loses a lot of market share.

altphoto@lemmy.today on 12 Aug 2025 19:34 next collapse

I want to buy chrome for $5.50!

How about you stranger?

joyjoy@lemmy.zip on 12 Aug 2025 19:52 next collapse

I’ll lower your offer to $1.00

altphoto@lemmy.today on 12 Aug 2025 20:02 collapse

I see your one dollar and I lower it by a cookie and two chicklets!

OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca on 12 Aug 2025 21:27 next collapse

Oof that’s more than twice my value.

its_me_xiphos@beehaw.org on 13 Aug 2025 11:37 collapse

Tree fiddy is the only price I’m willing to pay.

decayedproton@beehaw.org on 12 Aug 2025 22:11 next collapse

I wonder how large of a bid I should send to Microsoft to buy Windows.

But seriously, if they aren’t creating their own, better browser to compete and win over users then there is a problem with the market.

npdean@lemmy.today on 13 Aug 2025 10:17 collapse

If they have 34.5 billion lying around, why don’t they make a new browser themselves?

craftrabbit@lemmy.zip on 13 Aug 2025 13:11 collapse

Making a new browser is easy. They want to buy a near monopoly over the browser market, not a browser.

npdean@lemmy.today on 13 Aug 2025 13:29 collapse

Making a new browser is easy.

Then why doesn’t anyone else do it? We have only 3 real browsers.

sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al on 13 Aug 2025 13:45 collapse

Making a browser is ridiculously hard. Getting people to use it even harder.

icelimit@lemmy.ml on 13 Aug 2025 15:57 collapse

Netscape or go home