Perplexity AI might have just presented Alphabet/Google with a palatable route to resolving ongoing antitrust issues in relation to the ubiquitous Chrome browser.
Google's Antitrust Concerns
Alphabet and Google have faced a number of antitrust lawsuits in recent years. In 2022, the European General Court largely upheld the European Commission's €4.3 billion fine against the tech giant for abusing its Android dominance by requiring device makers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome.
In September 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice took Google to trial in Washington, DC, alleging anti-competitive practices for maintaining its position as the default search engine on browsers and smartphones through substantial payments to partners such as Apple. State attorneys general pursued parallel antitrust suits, focusing on Google's advertising business and exclusionary agreements.
US District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled back in 2024 that Alphabet's Google violated antitrust laws by maintaining an illegal monopoly in the search sphere. This then spawned a remedy trial that concluded in early May, 2025. While a terminal remedy is yet to be decided by Judge Mehta, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) wants Alphabet to divest the Chrome browser and its accompanying open-source Chromium project.
While the DOJ has already lined up potential Chrome buyers, including Yahoo, OpenAI, and Perplexity, Alphabet has continued to insist that a divestiture of Chrome would compromise user privacy and security, especially as Google's proprietary technology remains deeply embedded within the browser.
Judge Mehta is expected to deliver a ruling by August 2025. Thereafter, Alphabet is widely expected to appeal the decision while simultaneously pushing for an injunction against its implementation.
Separately, Alphabet also faces a remedy trial in Google's ad tech case, where again the search giant was found liable for maintaining an illegal monopoly.
Finally, Alphabet faces antitrust repercussions in Epic vs. Google case, where a federal jury concluded in December 2023 that Google maintained a monopoly on Android app distribution and in-app billing services.
Perplexity Makes A $34.5 Billion Offer For Chrome
This brings us to the core of today's topic. The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Perplexity AI has submitted a $34.5 billion bid for Google Chrome. Interestingly, Perplexity itself is currently valued at just around $18 billion.
While we do not definitively know Chrome's enterprise value, recent estimates have ranged between $20 billion and $50 billion. Interestingly, Perplexity AI's bid falls nearly in the middle of this range.
To sweeten its offer, Perplexity AI is offering a commitment to Google to maintain its open-source Chromium project.
Do note, however, that Google hasn't communicated any willingness to accept Perplexity AI's offer and, therefore, a deal is unlikely to materialize, at this stage at least.
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