Startup in artificial intelligence (AI) Perplexity has unexpectedly offered $34.5 billion (£25.6 billion) to acquire Google’s Chrome web browser. In a letter to Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet, the company that owns Google, Perplexity stated that the public would benefit from Chrome being moved to an independent operator dedicated to user safety.
However, one investor in the IT sector referred to the offer as a “stunt” that is far less than Chrome’s actual worth and pointed out that it’s unclear if the platform is actually for sale. The BBC has approached Google for comment. With an estimated three billion or more users, Chrome is the most popular web browser in the world. The company has not disclosed any plans to sell it.
Due to years of legal disputes stemming from two antitrust trials, Google’s hegemony in the search engine and online advertising markets has come under close examination. This month, a US federal court is anticipated to render a decision that would mandate Google to dismantle its search division.
The business has stated that it will appeal the decision, claiming that the plan to split out Chrome was a “unprecedented proposal” that would compromise security and negatively impact customers.
Perplexity’s proposal represents an “important commitment to the open web, user choice, and continuity for everyone who has chosen Chrome,” a spokesperson for the company told the BBC.
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