Google may be forced to sell off its Chrome browser

[HEXUS]

Move could be precipitated by US Gov antitrust pressure, EU 'gatekeeper' complaints.

Read more.

[Darkedge]

selling it would be one option, a better one would be spinning it off as a public charity based organisation with a board from across government and other interest groups. It should not be in private hands as they will always abuse it.
Oh well it's the US money rules - everything else comes second if you are lucky.

[judge56988]

Excellent news. Facebook/Instagram/Whatsapp next please.

[DanceswithUnix]

Is it just me, or is this just pointless tinkering what wouldn't slow down Google's data collection for a moment?

So far I've been fine with Chrome basically setting web standards. Not like those dark times of Internet Exploder.

[LSG501]

The real issue with google chrome is that one it's linked to google and they do like to add their own 'custom code' into the browser (and their sites) which is often at the detriment to other browsers like firefox or even the old non chrome based edge browser... both are good browsers which are being hampered by google's 'power' over the web in general.

Just taking away the browser from google really isn't going to solve much as I'm sure they'll 'encourage' whoever runs it to work 'really well' with their code and sites etc. There is no way that google will willingly give up the advertising side of the business as I'm pretty sure that's their main income still.

I do agree with the need to 'split up' a fair few online companies now or at the very least heavily regulate what they can and can't do with 'our' data.

[lumireleon]

with the growing privacy concerns....WHO CARES!! I have an option not to log into the browser, I have an option of not having a Facebook account and I have an option of not using Google and its products. The EU/US should simply focus on reducing taxes, nauseaic* regulations and barrier to entry of tech start-ups.

[Iota]

with the growing privacy concerns....WHO CARES!! I have an option not to log into the browser, I have an option of not having a Facebook account and I have an option of not using Google and its products. The EU/US should simply focus on reducing taxes, nauseaic* regulations and barrier to entry of tech start-ups.

I think the real issue is the power that the larger tech companies can bring to bear on start-ups, from Amazon basically undercutting a business it couldn't buy (they didn't want to sell) to drive down that business until they sold, to other companies essentially buying up the start-ups negating future competition. It is an issue, but one that could be solved far easier by bringing in laws to protect start-ups from the misbehaviour of the larger tech companies.

The real issue is trying to create a nurturing environment for the start up businesses. About the only one I can think of in recent memory is Shopify bringing something fairly new to market and succeeding. The others get gobbled up.

[Saracen999]

Never mind Chrome, get them to hive off Android.

[will19565]

selling it would be one option, a better one would be spinning it off as a public charity based organisation with a board from across government and other interest groups. It should not be in private hands as they will always abuse it.
Oh well it's the US money rules - everything else comes second if you are lucky.

Worst possible option, you do that and rather than monthly updates, you'll get yearly updates, if that.
They would have no incentive whatsoever to update it.

[Gentle Viking]

I use chrome, about 1 time every 3 - 4 weeks when i get a need to find out something and just have my stupid phone around.
Though i have also been known to drop what i have in the hand and walk into my friends PC and look for knowledge there, using microsoft edge that are equally unknown to me, but i am not using the chrome my friend use for PC browser.

People should really use their right to not do certain things more often, but the sheeple genome are strung with us all.
As a avid google hater i have also realized that i can not find a suitable replacement for youtube, so there i will wipe my current accounts, and then set up a few bogus google accounts for that.
My G mail are still slated for termination, but i have not done it yet though the few things i would need to redirect to a better mail host are quick to do, then i am also a old and slow rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish.

[Smudger]

The real issue with google chrome is that one it's linked to google and they do like to add their own 'custom code' into the browser (and their sites) which is often at the detriment to other browsers like firefox or even the old non chrome based edge browser... both are good browsers which are being hampered by google's 'power' over the web in general.

Just taking away the browser from google really isn't going to solve much as I'm sure they'll 'encourage' whoever runs it to work 'really well' with their code and sites etc. There is no way that google will willingly give up the advertising side of the business as I'm pretty sure that's their main income still.

I do agree with the need to 'split up' a fair few online companies now or at the very least heavily regulate what they can and can't do with 'our' data.

Exactly like MS with IE in the 90s/2000s. Without the hoovering up data thing.

[Kato-2]

Breaking up Google is long overdue, a company that has way too much power.

Frankly though I don't believe it will happen, especially if Biden wins the election, all of the US tech companies are backing him.

[globalwarning]

I think this is great. What does this mean for the Chromium OS?

[xslavic]

The problem is that the guy who invented HTML also created Chrome browser and Google Maps so he got nothing from it(he also built Opera and Firefox and Microsoft Office).International courts still recognize him as the owner of Google.
But since Netflix doesnt have a patent, it will all go to rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish.

[matts-uk]

I think the real issue is the power that the larger tech companies can bring to bear on start-ups, from Amazon basically undercutting a business it couldn't buy (they didn't want to sell) to drive down that business until they sold, to other companies essentially buying up the start-ups negating future competition. It is an issue, but one that could be solved far easier by bringing in laws to protect start-ups from the misbehaviour of the larger tech companies.

The comparison with oil barons and rail-road tycoons would suggest the real issue is the resurgence of a modern day 'Gilded Age.'

"It was a period where greedy, corrupt industrialists, bankers and politicians enjoyed extraordinary wealth and opulence at the expense of the working class. In fact, it was wealthy tycoons, not politicians, who inconspicuously held the most political power during the Gilded Age."

[Megaman223]

I use CHROME and Edge plus did use Internet Explorer never had a problem with any. if people to use chrome thats up to them. Not the Government

The Government spend more time looking after there own people. Record number of Homeless people in American and UK. Domestic violence against Women. That's more an priority than Google.