Google Says the Open Web Is Now in "Rapid Decline"

"In a major change in tune, Google has admitted that the "open web is already in rapid decline" - despite being adamant for months that the " web is thriving." As first spotted by The Verge, the tech giant attempted to dissuade regulators from breaking up its advertising tech business, arguing that doing so would harm publishers who rely on advertising revenue."

"It's a peculiar admission, especially considering it's in Google's best interest to downplay the sizable role it plays in the traditional ecosystem of the web. The company has been caught up in several antitrust lawsuits, with regulators finding that it was behaving anti-competitively, using its influence to assume an unprecedented level of control over the open web. Earlier this year, the US Department of Justice won a separate antitrust case against Google, finding that the company had been operating a monopoly in the adtech business."

"In August 2024, a judge also ruled that Google had illegally exploited its dominance on the web to stifle innovation and squash competition. It's worth noting that the search giant is pushing back; a spokesperson told the Verge that the "rapid decline" statement was "cherry-picked," misrepresenting the filing. "We are pointing out the obvious: that investments in non-open web display advertising like connected TV and retail media are growing at the expense of those in open web display advertising," the spokesperson said."

Google admitted that the open web is already in rapid decline and argued that breaking up its advertising technology business would accelerate that disintegration and harm publishers that rely on advertising revenue. Regulators and courts have found Google engaged in anti-competitive behavior, with the US Department of Justice winning an antitrust case and a judge ruling in August 2024 that Google illegally exploited its dominance to stifle innovation and reduce competition. Google pushed back, calling the "rapid decline" wording cherry-picked and saying investments are shifting toward non-open web channels like connected TV and retail media. Many digital publishers face sudden traffic and display-ad revenue drops tied to algorithm changes.

Read at Futurism