Is open-source web dying?

Google says it is, but the reality is more complicated than that…

Google has made headlines – and raised eyebrows – by claiming in a US court filing that the ‘open web is already in rapid decline.’ The statement comes as the tech giant faces major antitrust battles in both search and advertising, and it’s reignited questions about how we use the internet – and what kind of future still exists for the publishers who rely on it.

What about the open Web? What if it just evolves into something new?

Google says the open web is dying – Here’s what it really means

In April, Google’s attorneys argued, in a US court case on ad technology, that selling off parts of Google’s advertising business would only accelerate the decline of open web. They said that publishers who rely on traditional web advertising would be the most affected.

That’s a bold admission – especially considering that, publicly, Google execs have spent the past year saying almost the exact opposite.

Nick Fox, a senior vice president at the company, told reporters recently that “the Web is thriving.” Sundar Pichai – Google’s CEO – went a step further by insisting that AI Overviews, a feature of Google, are driving more traffic across a wider variety of websites.

What do you think? How can anyone else navigate the web when even Google’s highest-ranking executives disagree on whether it is flourishing or declining?

The Zero-Click Reality

Google is part of the problem.

The search engine has been a gateway for the internet for many years. Enter a search query, browse the results, then click on a hyperlink to visit a particular site. Today, however, more users are never leaving the search results page.

Similarweb’s research shows that 60 percent of Google searches today end without clicking a button. When AI Overviews are displayed, this number increases to almost 80%. In other words, the vast majority of users are getting the answers they need directly from Google – without ever visiting a publisher’s site.

Some media outlets have been hit hard by this shift. The organic traffic on news websites dropped from over 2.3 billion visits at the beginning of 2024 to less than 1.7 billion in May 2025. It’s a decline of more than one third in less than a calendar year.

Discover the age of push feed

It’s not all bad news. Google Discover has quietly been a lifeline to many publishers as search traffic is drying up.

If you’ve ever opened the Google app or a new tab in Chrome, you’ve likely seen Discover in action – a personalised feed of articles, guides, tips and news based on your interests. It does not wait for you type anything. It delivers content directly to you.

And for some sectors – like lifestyle, travel and local news – Discover isn’t just a back-up. It is now driving more traffic than Google search.

This marks a wider change. We’re moving from a ‘pull’ model – where users search for what they want – to a ‘push’ model, where content is fed to us through platforms like Discover, Google News, Apple News, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Shorts.

The younger audience is there. It’s also where publishers should be if want to stay current.

Tracking financial flows

There’s also the money. For years, the open web was funded by display ads – those banners that sit next to articles. Today, advertisers are spending their money on other platforms.

Retail media – ads shown inside apps like Amazon or online supermarkets – is now the fastest-growing ad sector. Digital video and connected television are also booming. By 2025, the US alone is expected to spend $72 billion on video advertising.

Open web display ads, meanwhile, are losing their appeal. They accounted for around 40% of all online ads impressions in 2019. Today? Only 11 percent

What is the result? Publishers are feeling the pinch – squeezed between declining traffic and shrinking ad budgets.

Regulators step in – but only just

The governments have taken notice. A US court ruled in September 2025 that Google had abused it’s dominance over search distribution. The court ordered Google to stop signing exclusive agreements with phone and browser manufacturers and to share its search data with competitors.

The court did not go further. Google was not forced to sell Chrome or Android.

A different court had found that Google also violated the competition law on the advertising market earlier in the year. But again, no sweeping reforms – no breakup, no major restructuring.

Critics call these decisions a mere slap of the wrist. They say they are realistic, particularly at a moment when AI is already changing the industry.

What this means to publishers

What does this mean for publishers?

It’s a tough climate – but not a hopeless one. Here’s what’s clear:

• Search traffic no longer guarantees success. Publishers are no longer able to rely solely on Google clicks. They must see it not as a standard, but rather as a bonus.
• Feeds have become the new front doors. The places where people spend the most time are Discover, Google News TikTok, and YouTube. Publishers need to understand – and master – these platforms.
• Evergreen content wins. In algorithmic feeds, lists, guides and how-to guides have a longer shelf life than breaking news.
• Diversifying your revenue streams is crucial. Ads are no longer enough. Publishers need to explore subscriptions, memberships, events, sponsorships – and anything else that helps them stay afloat.
• It is important to control your audience. Newsletters, community channels and podcasts help to build loyal readers outside of the control of technology giants.

What it means to readers

And for the rest of us – everyday internet users – the changes are a bit of a mixed bag.

It’s easier to find answers than ever. You don’t have to click through endless links in order to find out the weather or a specific recipe. Google will often give you the information you are looking for in seconds.

There’s also a downside: Less context and less choice. If you’re only seeing AI summaries or curated headlines in a feed, you might miss out on the deeper story – the nuance, the source, the human reporting behind the words.

It’s more important than ever to support the media outlets you value. Whether it’s subscribing to a newsletter, downloading their app, or simply bookmarking their homepage – these small actions help ensure the kind of journalism you value can survive.

Understanding the larger picture

What is the future of open web?

Not exactly. It’s changing. The old model – built on blue links, banner ads and millions of competing websites – is being replaced by:

• AI generated answers often stop the journey even before it starts.
• Closed ecosystems such as Amazon, Netflix and TikTok absorb time and attention.
• Discover and Shorts, for example, deliver stories to you before you have asked for them.

Publishers face a dual challenge: one that is both challenging and exciting. For readers, it offers more convenience – but also a bigger responsibility to look deeper.

As one analyst stated: The open web is not dying. It’s being rewired.”
And how we respond to that rewiring – as publishers, advertisers, or simply as users – will shape the future of the internet as we know it.