Google has threatened to shut down search engine services in Australia. The search engine made such a threat at the beginning of the Australian legislative initiative to give a share of the profits to the media. If the new law is implemented, Google will be obliged to pay the profits of the country's publishers for news content.
Not only Google, but other technology companies including Facebook will also come under the proposed law.
A BBC report, citing Google, said the law would require Google and Facebook to sit down with Australian news publishers to discuss pricing content.
At a hearing on Friday, Google Australia managing director Mel Silva said such legislation would disrupt Google's services in Australia. If the draft that is being discussed is passed into law, they will have no choice but to stop Google search in Australia.
In response to Google's threat, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his country's lawmakers would not shy away from any threats. His government is committed to passing the law in parliament this year. Other lawmakers in Australia have also described Google's remarks as blackmail and a threat to democracy.
Google has a monopoly on different countries of the world. Australia is no exception. The Australian government has said that the Google service is now a must-have item. And the company has an absolute dominance in the service market. They are making a lot of money and Google News publishers should be given a share of the profit.
The Australian government has also explained the reasons for the new law. According to their data, the number of advertisements in Australian newspapers has dropped by 75 per cent since 2005. As a result, many newspapers have closed down due to inability to manage their expenses. Many organizations have laid off their employees.
Google Australia's managing director said the law proposed by the Australian government was not compatible with the concept of the internet and online. The financial and management risks that would arise would make it impossible for them to continue their services in Australia.
