Google: "If News Usage Fees Are Enforced, Service Suspension in Australia Is Inevitable"

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] As the Australian government pushes for legislation that would force global digital platform companies to pay news usage fees to media outlets, Google has warned that it will suspend its search services in Australia if the law is passed.

According to the Australian daily The Sydney Morning Herald on the 22nd, Mel Silva, head of Google's Australia branch, emphasized at the Australian Federal Senate hearing that the 'News Media Bargaining Code' being legislated by the Australian government is unrealistic, and Google is prepared to withdraw from Australia.

Since the end of last year, the Australian government has been promoting a bill that requires companies like Google and Facebook to pay appropriate fees for journalistic content taken from media outlets. If the 'bargaining code' included in this bill is enforced, these companies must reach an agreement with media outlets on news usage fees within three months, or else undergo a compulsory arbitration process.

At the hearing, Silva stated, "If this code is legislated as it stands, Google will have no choice but to suspend its search services in Australia," adding, "This is not a threat but a reality."

He added, "This code not only sets an unsustainable precedent for Google's business and the digital economy but also contradicts the principles on which search engines and the internet operate."

Simon Milner, Facebook's Vice President of Asia-Pacific Public Policy, who also attended the hearing, emphasized, "If this bill is enforced, we will have no choice but to block news content on Australian sites."

In response, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated, "The rules about what happens in Australia are decided by the Australian government and parliament," adding, "We welcome those who want to do business here, but we do not respond to threats."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.