CANBERRA (Reuters) – Australia will introduce important legislation next week to force Google and Facebook Alphabet to pay publishers and broadcasters for content, a senior government official said on Friday.
The legislation, which Google says will be “unfeasible,” will make Australia the first country to require Facebook and Google to pay for news content.
“The bill will now be considered by parliament in the week beginning February 15, 2021,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in an email.
The legislation is closely monitored around the world.
With bipartisan support, it could take effect this month, despite doubts by Google, which says the law will force it to withdraw its search function.
Software giant Microsoft Corp. said it is confident its Bing search product could fill the gap in Australia if Google withdraws.
Lucinda Longcroft, director of government affairs and public policy for Google in Australia and New Zealand, said the company had proposed amendments to a Senate inquiry, but they were rejected.
However, the company still hopes to discuss the law with members of parliament.
“We look forward to engaging with policy makers through the parliamentary process to address our concerns and create a code that works for everyone – publishers, digital platforms and Australian companies and users,” Longcroft said in a statement. e-mail statement.
Facebook did not immediately respond to requests for comment when contacted by Reuters.
U.S. search and social media giants have pressured Australia to tighten legislation, and senior executives at both companies have held talks with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Frydenberg.
Google launched a platform in Australia last week, offering news for which it paid, ending its own content offerings with publishers in an attempt to show that the proposed legislation is useless.
Last month, Reuters said it had signed an agreement with Google to be the first global news provider at the Google News Showcase. Reuters is owned by news and information provider Thomson Reuters Corp.
Google and the lobby group of French publishers also agreed in January on a copyright framework for the technology firm to pay news publishers for online content, a first for Europe.
Colin Packham’s report; Edited by Stephen Coates, Robert Birsel