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Separating Google from its popular browser Chrome -- it should go without saying -- will have repercussions on the ad industry.
The Department of Justice requested a federal judge order Google to sell off Chrome, following the antitrust trial where the judge ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by maintaining an illegal monopoly with its search engine.
Bloomberg, which first reported the news before the DOJ's official ruling on Wednesday, reported that the Chrome browser could sell for as much as $20 billion because it has over 3 billion monthly active users.
Of course, how big tech firms are regulated will look very different with Donald Trump in the White House, but exactly how that will impact this antitrust case -- and Google's adtech antitrust case -- is still anyone's guess.
Here's the impact selling Chrome will have on the industry, according to media buyers and executives. We'll keep updating this story as it progresses.
Rachel Klein, vice president, earned & owned media, Wpromote:
While it's unlikely that users will suddenly abandon Google Search, losing exclusive access to Chrome's data would deal a serious blow to Google's competitive advantage.
If Chrome and its data become accessible on the open market, advertisers would gain access to a wider array of media options, increasing competition and potentially driving down ad costs. This shift could foster innovation and improve the quality of digital advertising, encouraging a more dynamic and consumer-centric ecosystem.
That said, a fragmented data landscape would also require advertisers to rethink their strategies, integrating insights across the entire consumer journey to remain competitive. Just as the loss of third-party cookies pushed advertisers to invest in first-party data, this fragmentation could force a fundamental shift in strategy. Advertisers will need to unify transaction points and tap into a broader range of data sources beyond Google's ecosystem to stay competitive.
Aaron Goldman, chief marketing officer, Mediaocean:
In divesting Chrome, Google would lose ownership of a critical source of search traffic and invaluable browser data. This would weaken the potency of Google's adtech stack and mandate marketers to implement alternative ad servers.
It would also require brands and agencies to stitch together yet another identity solution to match whatever plans the new Chrome company might have for third-party cookie deprecation.
As well as selling off Chrome, the DOJ is requesting that: