In a recent court filing, Google has conceded that the “open web is already in rapid decline,” a statement that stands in stark contrast to the company’s earlier assertions of a flourishing web ecosystem. The admission surfaced during a trial focused on Google’s alleged advertising technology monopoly. Google argues that dismantling its advertising business would exacerbate the open web’s existing issues.
The acknowledgement follows reports from numerous digital publishers experiencing declining traffic, attributed to algorithm shifts and the increasing popularity of AI chatbots. A Google spokesperson, Jackie Berté, clarified that the statement pertained specifically to “open-web display advertising,” rather than the entire open web. Despite this clarification, the statement highlights the growing difficulties faced by publishers navigating the evolving digital landscape. Google CEO Sundar Pichai had previously indicated that the company is directing traffic to a broader range of sources following the integration of AI-powered search tools.