Google warns Australia of 'dramatically worse' services over controversial draft law

Google warned Australians that the News Media Bargaining Code, a law proposed by the government, will hurt how they use Google Search and YouTube. Mel Silva, Google Australia Managing Director, said that the proposed would force the US-based tech giant to provide Australian users with “dramatically worse” Google Search and YouTube.

Silva warned that it could also lead to data being handed over to big news businesses, and would put the free services they use in Australia at risk. In an open letter to Australians, the Google official said that the law would force the firm to give an unfair advantage to news media businesses over everyone else who has a website, YouTube channel or small business.

“We’ve always treated all website owners fairly when it comes to information we share about ranking. The proposed changes are not fair and they mean that Google Search results and YouTube will be worse for you,” the letter read.

Google claimed that the tech firm has to tell news media businesses “how they can gain access” to data about users, adding that there’s no way of knowing if any data handed over would be protected, or how it might be used by news media businesses. Silva said that the law is set up to give big media companies “special treatment” and to encourage them to make “enormous and unreasonable demands that would put our free services at risk”.

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Regulatory body dismisses letter

Australian Competitor and Consumer Commission (ACCC) dismissed the open letter, saying it contains misinformation about the draft news media bargaining code. The regulatory body said in a statement that the draft code will allow Australian news businesses to negotiate for fair payment for their journalists’ work that is included on Google services.

ACCC clarified that Google will not be required to charge Australians for the use of its free services such as Google Search and YouTube or to share any additional user data with Australian news businesses “unless it chooses to do so”. It stated that the draft code will allow Australian news businesses to negotiate for fair payment for their journalists’ work that is included on Google services.

“This will address a significant bargaining power imbalance between Australian news media businesses and Google and Facebook,” ACCC said in a statement.

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