Daily Tech News Show Perplexity offers $34.5 billion to buy Chrome - DTNSB 5080
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Aug 12, 2025 A thrilling discussion unfolds around Perplexity's bold $34.5 billion bid to acquire Google's Chrome browser, stirring up investor interest amid antitrust scrutiny. Reddit's decision to block the Internet Archive sparks a debate on data access in the age of AI. Meanwhile, Samsung unveils its luxury Micro RGB TV priced at a staggering $32,000. The episode also tackles Elon Musk's potential legal confrontation with Apple over app rankings and examines the evolving landscape of subscription services and digital innovation.
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Perplexity's Headline-Grabbing Chrome Bid
- Perplexity publicly offered $34.5B to buy Chrome largely as a press and positioning move tied to potential antitrust remedies.
- The offer signals market interest and could be a small factor judges consider if divestment is ordered.
Two Distinct Google Antitrust Threads
- Two separate U.S. antitrust cases target Google: search ads and Google Ad Manager, each with different harms and remedies.
- Forcing a Chrome sale is one possible remedy but not the most directly relevant to search ads issues.
Remedies Depend On Practical Market Effects
- Judges weigh remedies by feasibility and market effects, including whether buyers exist and how selling Chrome would affect defaults.
- Perplexity's pledge to keep Google as Chrome's default may undermine the remedy's purpose if divestiture aims to reduce Google's search influence.