Google argues in a court filing that the open web is in rapid decline, particularly for publishers relying on open-web display advertising. This shift in narrative comes as the company faces a potential breakup of its ad business, with Google claiming that such a divestiture would further harm publishers already struggling due to changes in advertising dynamics influenced by AI and emerging formats like Connected TV.

In a recent court filing, Google claims that the open web is in "rapid decline," arguing that forcing it to divest its ad business would further harm websites reliant on advertising revenue. This statement comes as Google faces scrutiny over its ad practices following a lost antitrust case, while the company disputes claims that AI search is negatively impacting web traffic. Google emphasizes that its comments pertain to open-web advertising specifically, not the overall health of the web.