SINGAPORE – Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that he had a “constructive meeting” with Google chief Sundar Pichai after the technology giant threatened to withdraw its search engine from the country because of a potential new law.
Essentially, Australia wants internet giants Facebook and Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, to pay for the news.
The government introduced a media bill in parliament in December. If approved, the new media’s trading code would require digital platforms to pay local media and publishers to link their content to news feeds or search results. If the parties fail to reach an agreement, a government-appointed panel will decide on the price.
“I thought it was a constructive meeting,” Morrison told reporters on Thursday, according to a transcript of a press conference posted by his office.
“I have been able to send them the best possible signals that should give them a great incentive to engage in the process and conclude the deals that we would like to see concluded with the various news media organizations in Australia,” he said .
Morrison said Google raised specific aspects of the media bargaining code on the call and the discussions touched on the company’s ability to continue providing services in Australia.
“At the end of the day, they understand that Australia sets the rules for how these things work. And I was very clear about how I saw it happen,” said Morrison, without giving further details.
Google did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.