Google admits the open web is in 'rapid decline'

"Google submitted the filing ahead of another trial that will determine how it will address its monopoly in the advertising technology business. The US Department of Justice recommends that Google break up its advertising business, but the company argues in the filing that this isn't ideal because it would "only accelerate" the decline of the open web, "harming publishers who currently rely on open-web display advertising revenue.""

"The statement sharply contrasts Google's recent narrative about the health of search on the web. Google has a clear incentive to make itself appear weaker or less monopolistic in the courtroom, but its admission reflects a reality many publishers are going through. Several digital publishers and independent website owners have reported experiencing a decline in traffic following changes to Google Search's algorithm and the rise of AI chatbots."

Google filed a court document acknowledging that the open web is already in rapid decline. The filing argued that breaking up Google's advertising business would only accelerate that decline and would harm publishers that rely on open-web display advertising revenue. The admission contrasts with prior public claims that the web is thriving and that AI is not tanking traffic. Several digital publishers and independent website owners have reported declines in traffic after Google Search algorithm changes and the rise of AI chatbots. Google executives have defended search, asserting traffic is being sent to a wider range of publishers and that click volume remains relatively stable. The Department of Justice recommends breaking up Google's ad business.

Read at The Verge