Browser: Ecosia wants responsibility for Chrome, but without paying for it
In the USA, a judge could soon rule that Google must sell the Chrome browser. Ecosia has now proposed an alternative for sale.
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Ecosia wants to take over Google's Chrome browser without having to pay for it, and then put 60 percent of the revenue into climate projects and pay the rest to Google. The sustainable search engine provider from Berlin explained this to TechCrunch and added that Google would retain intellectual property rights to the software as part of the plan and could even continue to provide the default search engine. Ecosia merely wants to take over the management of the browser for a period of ten years, after which a new decision will be made. The development team is to remain in place. Ecosia has been offering its own browser since last year and also uses Google's index for its own search engine.
Temporary takeover proposed
The proposal is intended to show the judge responsible for deciding the future of Chrome that alternatives to a sale are conceivable, Ecosia CEO Christian Kroll told TechCrunch. Should the judge comply with the plan, Chrome would be spun off from Google and transferred to a foundation. A not insignificant portion of the gigantic revenues in the billions would remain with Google, while the larger remainder would be invested in climate protection – something Ecosia already has experience with. This makes the proposal fundamentally different from the only known offer to date from AI company Perplexity. It simply wants to take over Chrome completely for 34.5 billion US dollars.
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The unsolicited offer is the latest twist in the debate about the future of Chrome. It was raised in the context of legal proceedings brought by the US Department of Justice and many US states, which have accused Google of abusing its market power. By making payments to browser and device manufacturers, Google ensured that its search engine was set as the default – an unlawful restriction of competition. Judge Amit Mehta upheld the argument in April 2024, and the consequences of this have been under discussion ever since. It is conceivable that Chrome will have to be sold, which is why interested parties are positioning themselves. A decision could be made soon.
(mho)
