In a surprising move, nonprofit search engine Ecosia has offered to take “stewardship” of Google Chrome for the next 10 years. Instead of forcing Google to sell Chrome to another tech giant, Ecosia suggests a unique model managing the browser and directing most of its revenues toward global climate initiatives.
This proposal comes as U.S. Judge Amit Mehta prepares remedies following the 2024 ruling that found Google guilty of maintaining an illegal monopoly in search and advertising. While the Department of Justice has suggested Google divest Chrome, competitors like OpenAI and Perplexity have already shown interest in acquiring it. Perplexity even made a bold $34.5 billion offer, though many analysts believe Chrome could fetch “hundreds of billions.”
Ecosia, however, believes Chrome could generate $1 trillion over the next decade. Under its stewardship plan, 60% of that revenue would fund climate projects from rainforest protection to green AI technology, while Google would still receive 40% and retain intellectual property rights.
Though unconventional, Ecosia’s proposal pushes regulators to consider alternatives beyond the usual divestiture route. Instead of transferring Chrome’s dominance to another tech powerhouse, stewardship could redirect its massive financial power toward solving climate change.
Whether or not the judge agrees, Ecosia’s bold idea sparks a bigger question: should Big Tech assets be managed for public good, not just profit?
