The Linux Foundation, along with Google, Microsoft, Meta and Opera, today announced the creation of a new organization of supporters of Chromium-based browsers. As the name suggests, this group was formed to support the open source Chromium browsers so that they can continue to receive the resources they need, be it financially or in some other form.
The initiative was launched by the Linux Foundation in partnership with Google, and has since been joined by Microsoft, Meta and Opera. In a press release, the Linux Foundation explained what the consortium does. This writes:
Supporters of Chromium-based browsers will provide a neutral space where industry leaders, academia, developers, and the broader open source community can work together to support projects in the Chromium ecosystem. By promoting collaboration, the initiative aims to remove barriers to innovation, increase adoption, and ensure projects in the Chromium ecosystem receive the resources they need to thrive.
The Chromium projects themselves will remain within the current existing governance structures, while only new supporters of Chromium-based browsers will be housed within the Linux Foundation.
In a blog post on the Chromium website, Google explained why the Linux Foundation was chosen to manage it, as well as its thoughts on it all, as it cites millions of dollars in costs just for service:
In 2024, Google made more than 100,000 commits to Chromium, accounting for about 94 percent of contributions. While we have no intention of reducing these investments, we continue to welcome others’ desire to invest more.
The Chromium-based Browser Supporter Fund will be managed by the Linux Foundation, following its long-established open governance practices, prioritizing transparency, inclusivity and community-driven development. We’re thrilled that Meta, Microsoft and Opera are the first to pledge their support.
Microsoft has also added its own thoughts, and this is mainly due to the goal of improving Edge while continuing to contribute to Chromium:
Six years ago, Microsoft announced that we would adopt the open source Chromium project for our Edge browser. Today, our open source principles remain unchanged, and we continue to contribute directly to Chromium, bringing our expertise to the project.
Opera has it too called V:
For us, being part of the Chromium-based browser group from the beginning represents an opportunity to play an even more active role in the development of Chromium and its future direction.
Meta has yet to issue a press release or statement.
This means that Chromium browsers are likely to gain even more traction, and this may not bode well for Gecko engine based on Firefoxwho is struggling with the giant Chromium and especially Google with only ~6% desktop market share.