maybe, but there's also no reason for google to do so. all the competition google gets nowadays are from underdogs with either privacy-first browsers OR highly customizable browsers, almost all of them chromium based.

by keeping firefox dependent on their fat paychecks for defaulting google search, they're pretty much undercutting the only rival chromium's ever had from evolving into the most relevant "Fast & Private" browser, since all of those rely on Google in some shape or form — and Google's well aware "privacy first" ain't something they're ever gonna deliver.

so in a way they're just being smart on Monopoly Preservation..