In the context: Australia could pass a law requiring the search engine giant Google – and others – to pay news sites to link to their articles. If that happens, Google has told the Australian Senate, in no uncertain terms, that it will end research in Australia.
The problem is that news sites – which have struggled to adapt their business model in an increasingly digital and online era – have not done well in recent years and blame companies like Google and Facebook for the loss of advertising revenue.
Because of this, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has proposed a new structure in which technology platforms – starting with Google and Facebook – pay news sites for links to their stories. Google and Facebook are expected to negotiate “in good faith” for an agreed fee.
Ars Technica explains: “You might think that Google would simply stop linking to Australian news sites. But that will not be allowed by the ACCC proposal. The new non-discrimination rules require Google to treat sites in the same way, whether or not you have to pay to link to them. ”
Google responded on Friday with an ultimatum. Speaking in the Australian Senate, Google’s Mel Silva said the company “would have no real choice” but to end research in Australia if the structure were imposed, adding that the change “would set an unsustainable precedent for our business and the economy digital. ”
The situation even drew criticism from Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web. He agreed that the structure of Australia would set a damaging precedent, adding: “The ability to link freely – that is, without limitations on the content of the linked site and without monetary fees – it is fundamental for the functioning of the Web ”.
It is not the first time that Google is in a situation like this. The company recently became involved in a similar controversy with French news sites – which ended up with Google finally agreeing to pay, although the details at the time were vague.
For now, it appears that Australian authorities may be willing to see how serious Google is in pushing Australia’s search. “We do not respond to threats,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday. “Australia sets our rules for things you can do in Australia.”
Your turn, Google.