Google Is Threatening to Block Search in Australia if Law Passes

Lawmakers in Australia want to force Google, Facebook, and others to pay for news that appears in search results and on their platforms. Now Google has threatened to block Search in Australia if the bill passes.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Melanie Silva, managing director for Google in Australia, told a Senate committee hearing today that the company would block Search in the country if the proposed media bargaining code becomes law. Experts told the Herald that the threat is real as Google probably worries that the law could create a precedent for the rest of the globe.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said they wouldn’t respond to threats from companies. Meanwhile, news outlets argued with claims that their content didn’t add value to Google and other online platforms.