Our Hometown Blog

In Australia, a legal battle is being waged as Australian legislators seek to pass a law that would force Google to compensate publishers for the value their content generates for the search engine. More specifically, they’re targeting the excerpts of articles that are displayed in Google’s search results.

Google responded this week by threatening to disable the search engine, which is responsible for at least 94% of all internet searches in Australia, throughout the country if the legislation is passed.

Google’s managing director for New Zealand and Australia, Mel Silva, cited “unworkable” financial challenges in her objection:

“If this version of the code were to become law, it would give us no real choice but to stop making Google Search available in Australia,” Silva told a panel of senators. She described the law as an “untenable financial and operational precedent.”

You can read the full article from Bloomberg here: Google Threatens to Remove Search as Australian Row Deepens.

Share this Post: