Google is probably doing what everyone else is doing. The entry level managerial positions are being eliminated by pretending the people doing the work are not actually manager and are therefore paid less.
It’s reached ridiculous proportions in some companies I have worked for. I have seen transversal project managers and delivery leads in charge of up to 80 persons sometimes with an intermediate level of management actually reporting to them but not directly attached to them be paid as IC.
It gets even more funny because some positions in said companies doing a lot less management but occupied by people who suck up a lot are actually considered managerial.
Most modern big companies are completely f* up. The only reason we don’t see more disruption is regulatory capture.