Google stated that it would be forced to block Australia from accessing its search engine if the country decides to implement a new law called the News Media Bargaining Code. Under the law, Google would have to pay media companies in order to display their links inside Google Search.
Google argues that this would break the fundamental of a web search engine and the Internet itself to a certain extent. This is because search engines operate by linking a user to a website for free and the new law could become a domino effect as other businesses may start demanding for them to be paid for their links as well.
Mel Silva, Managing Director for Google Australia, explains why there is a workable news code that doesn’t break Google Search. Learn more about what the News Media Bargaining Code means for you at https://t.co/X4UoySQPLw pic.twitter.com/9UjtaPW0zZ
— googledownunder (@googledownunder) January 22, 2021
On another hand, the Australian government crafted the law in order to balance the bargaining power between media companies and Google as well as other digital platforms out there including Facebook. As you might notice, these digital platforms are generally responsible for determining the flow of information on the Internet, so they certainly have a lot of controlling power in their hands.
Meanwhile, Google pointed out that the Google News Showcase program is a fair solution to this issue. It remains to be seen whether the Australian government will agree to this but one thing for sure, the end result could determine how media businesses and digital platforms work in the near future.
(Image: Brett Jordan / Pexels.)
