Google admits the open web is 'in rapid decline' - reversing earlier claim that traffic is 'thriving'

"the open web is already in rapid decline,"

"This is one cherry-picked line that misrepresents our legal filing - it's clear from the preceding sentence that we're referring to 'open-web display advertising' and not the open web as a whole," a Google spokesperson told The Post."

"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."

Google privately told a federal court that open-web display advertising is in rapid decline while publicly asserting robust search traffic. The company amended a filing to clarify the reference was to "open-web display advertising," not the open web as a whole. Google warned that a forced divestiture of its advertising unit would accelerate the collapse of open-web display ad revenue and harm publishers. The Justice Department seeks remedies including breaking up Google's ad tech unit, arguing the company crushed competition and squeezed publishers. Google attributed industry shifts to market forces such as AI, connected TV, and retail media, saying advertisers are reallocating spend.

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