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 ...

Google said that the open web is "in rapid decline" as it tries to defend a breakup of its ads business, but later clarified its comments.

Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, said in May that web publishing is not dying. Nick Fox, VP of Search at Google, said in May that the web is thriving. But in a court document filed by Google on late ...