Google threatens to block search in Australia, says PM Morris
Canberra, Friday 22 January 2021
Google has threatened to disable its search engine in Australia if it is forced to pay local publishers for news to block search in the country, a threat that comes amid tensions between the Australian government and Google over the past month. Ongoing tensions between the two over the law on paying media.
Mel Silva, director of Australia and New Zealand, said in a parliamentary hearing on Friday that the proposed law, intended to compensate publishers for the value of their news for the company, specifically opposed the idea that Google should display snippets of articles in search results.
Google's threat is effective as digital giants around the world try to stop regulators from taking action, with at least 94 per cent of online search results in Australia passing through the Alphabet Inc. unit, according to the local competition regulator.
Morrison said Australia makes rules for things you can do in Australia, these have been passed by our Parliament, and this is how things work in Australia, there are other companies like Facebook Ec that have been targeted by law. He has also opposed the law, saying once again at a hearing on Friday through social media platforms that he was considering blocking his services.
Facebook has warned Australian news agencies that Australia has enacted the law to support the local media industry, including Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, which has struggled to adapt to digital economies, with lawmakers criticizing Google's tough stance during the hearing. Giant accused of trying to blackmail Australia and policymakers.
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