Google Admits Open Web in “Rapid Decline” in Court Filing
▼ Summary
– Google claims in a legal filing that the open web is in rapid decline and argues that divesting its AdX marketplace would hasten this decline.
– The company is responding to a DOJ request for remedies after losing an antitrust case where it was found to have suppressed rival ad technologies.
– Google’s dominance in internet advertising and search forces websites to adhere to its standards due to a lack of substantial competition.
– The company faces criticism for contradictory stances, promoting AI search benefits while now highlighting web decline when its business is at risk.
– A Pew Research analysis indicates AI Overviews reduce web traffic, though Google disputes this, claiming search clicks remain stable.
The future of the open web has become a central point of contention in Google’s ongoing legal battles, with the tech giant making a surprising admission in recent court filings. As it fights to avoid a court-ordered breakup of its advertising business, Google has claimed that the open web is already in “rapid decline.” This statement appears in the company’s response to the Department of Justice’s proposed remedies following an antitrust ruling earlier this year.
Google argues that forcing it to divest its AdX marketplace would only accelerate the deterioration of many websites that rely heavily on advertising revenue. The company insists such a move would harm publishers and content creators, making an already fragile ecosystem even more vulnerable. This forms a key part of Google’s defense as it urges the court to reject the government’s demands.
The scale of Google’s influence cannot be overstated. Its advertising operations have turned it into an internet titan with few true rivals. Websites often feel compelled to align with Google’s standards for both search and ads due to the lack of meaningful competition. A federal court previously found that Google’s practice of tying its display ad services to the AdX marketplace stifled competing technologies and allowed the company to unfairly favor its own services in ad auctions.
This latest claim about the open web’s decline stands in stark contrast to Google’s public messaging around its AI search features. While the company often tests user patience with experimental AI products, it has consistently maintained that these innovations do not reduce traffic to external websites. Executives like Liz Reid have asserted that click-through rates remain “relatively stable,” despite external analyses, such as one from Pew Research Center, suggesting that AI Overviews may significantly reduce referral traffic.
Caught between legal defense and public relations, Google seems to be presenting two conflicting narratives. On one hand, it tells users and publishers that the web is healthy and full of opportunity. On the other, it tells the court that the same web is crumbling, and that further regulation could make things worse. This dual messaging raises questions about the company’s transparency and long-term intentions as it navigates some of the most significant antitrust challenges in its history.
(Source: Ars Technica)
