Google threatens to close its search engine in Australia....

[steve2470]

https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/22/google-threatens-to-close-its-search-engine-in-australia-as-it-lobbies-against-digital-news-code/

Google has threatened to close its search engine in Australia — as it dials up its lobbying against draft legislation that is intended to force it to pay news publishers for reuse of their content.

Facebook would also be subject to the law. And Facebook has previously said it would ban news from being shared on its products owing if the law was brought in, as well as claiming it’s reduced its investment in the country as a result of the legislative threat.

“The principle of unrestricted linking between websites is fundamental to Search. Coupled with the unmanageable financial and operational risk if this version of the Code were to become law it would give us no real choice but to stop making Google Search available in Australia,” Google warned today.

Last August the tech giant took another pot-shot at the proposal, warning that the quality of its products in the country could suffer and might stop being free if the government proceeded with a push to make the tech giants share ad revenue with media businesses.

[kristofarian]

1. screw the googles

Nationalize google.

[msongs]

2. google can just remove all murdoch media outlets from its search base. no biggee nt