Google Threatens to Withdraw Search Engine from Australia

Google has threatened to remove its search engine from Australia in an effort by the nation to make the tech giant share royalties with news publishers.

Australia is adopting a landmark law that requires Google, Facebook and possibly other tech giants to pay media outlets for their news material, reports BBC.

But the US tech giants have fought back, arguing the laws are onerous and would damage local access to services.

On Friday, Google told a Senate hearing the laws were "unworkable".

"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," said Mel Silva, managing director of Google Australia.

"We do not see a way, with the financial and operational risks, that we could continue to offer a service in Australia."

Australian politicians are scheduled to debate the laws in parliament this year.

Google Search is Australia's dominant search engine and has been described by the government as a near-essential utility with little market competition.

The government argued that because tech giants gain customers from people who want to read the news, tech giants should pay "fair" newsrooms for their journalism.

Google's threat to remove its primary product is its most severe yet, in a debate being closely watched globally amid increasing debate about regulating the power of big tech.

Silva said the laws would set "an untenable precedent for our businesses" and were not compatible with the free-flowing share of information online or "how the internet works".

Last week, after reports surfaced in local media, Google confirmed that Australian news sites had been blocked by about 1% of local users in their search results. It was said that it was an experiment to test the value of Australian news services.

Facebook also threatened last year to stop Australian users from sharing news stories on the platform if the law went ahead.