Google Begins to Be Abandoned, Emerges as New Internet King by 2026

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Google’s supremacy as the king of the internet, dominating digital advertising revenue, is now beginning to fade. For the first time, Meta Platforms (Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook) is projected to surpass Alphabet (Google) in terms of global advertising revenue by the end of 2026. Meta’s global advertising revenue is forecasted to reach US$243.46 billion throughout 2026, while Google will only achieve US$239.54 billion, according to market research firm Emarketer, cited from Reuters, Tuesday (14/4/2026). Meta’s Advantage+ automated advertising tools package has successfully led to strong adoption of its advertising business by advertisers. This is because the tool allows advertisers to simplify campaign setups and increase marketing return on investment. “By surpassing Google, Meta has essentially validated many of its core strategies,” said Max Willens, lead analyst at Emarketer. Although Google has other growth avenues, including YouTube Premium subscriptions, its broader business mix may make it difficult to outpace Meta in advertising revenue. Analysts say smaller platforms like Snap and Pinterest remain the most vulnerable to advertising budget cuts during geopolitical uncertainty. This is because digital advertising spending is concentrated on larger platforms such as Meta and Google. Emarketer states that the main driver behind Google’s shift in position is the acceleration of Meta’s growth, which is estimated to rise to 24.1% this year from 22.1% in 2025. Google’s growth rate is expected to remain stable at 11.9% in 2026. Meta has tightened its competitiveness in the advertising market after launching advertising capabilities on WhatsApp and Threads. At the same time, Instagram Reels continues to compete with TikTok and YouTube Shorts in the increasingly popular short video market. Google, Meta, and Amazon are projected to contribute to 62.3% of the global digital market share throughout 2026, according to Emarketer.