Google Corporation has promised to shut down its search engine in Australia if lawmakers adopt a new Code of Media Market Players.
This was announced by the managing director of Google Australia, Mel Silva.
The bill proposed by the Australian government in the summer of last year is now being heard in the country's senate. In the case of its adoption, technology companies (at the first stage of implementation of the Code, it will be only Google and Facebook) are obliged to pay Australian mass media funds for the placement of news content on their platforms.
"If the code goes into effect in its current form, we will have no other choice but to end access to Google Search in Australia. This is the last thing we want at Google, especially when there is a second way that allows us to support Australian journalism without violating the principles of the search system," said Silva.
According to the managing director, the bill boils down to the fact that Google will have to pay individual mass media for links to their news in search results and in its aggregators. Silva called this method a "slippery path" that will destroy the existing business models of search engines.
At the same time, the corporation offers an alternative solution to the problem: it will conclude a deal with Australian mass media on the basis of the Google News Showcase service, which involves payments for news content. In solving the problem, the company intends to invest $1,3 billion over three years.
As reported by the 9News channel, Australian mass media accuse Google and Facebook of profiting from demonstrations to users of published news content. At the same time, the corporations do not pay anything to the mass media themselves.
