Google privately told a federal court that “the open web is already in rapid decline,” a sharp reversal from its public claims that search traffic is booming — and a stunning admission as the Justice Department pushes to dismantle its ad tech empire.

Google is asserting that web traffic is not suffering because of AI tools and that its search engine directs visitors to an unprecedented array of websites. But last week, Google contradicted this stance in a court filing. The tech giant acknowledged that ...

Is the web thriving or faltering? Google has an unexpected take in a new legal filing. Google is heading back to court soon in hopes of convincing a judge that it should not have to split up its ad business. The company lost its adtech antitrust case ...

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 ...

These features have led to a dramatic drop in web traffic, with some sites reportedly losing 30% to 40% of their Google-driven visits in 2024 and 2025. That kind of traffic drop is a site killer, whether you’re a publisher seeking readers or a retailer selling widgets.

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