A link to Google’s proposal for a functional news code on the company’s homepage.
David Gray | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Australia’s political opposition will support the proposed legislation that would force Google and Facebook Alphabet to pay publishers and broadcasters for content, two informed sources said on Tuesday.
The bill, whose prospects are widely pursued around the world, depends on opposition support, as the Liberal Party of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government does not have a majority in the country’s upper house.
Australian center-left Labor lawmakers approved the bill at a meeting in Canberra on Tuesday, sources said, who were not allowed to speak to the media about it and refused to be identified.
The bill is expected to be introduced in parliament this week.
Google and Facebook have pressured Australia to soften the law, with senior executives from both companies holding talks with Morrison and treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
Google has requested a number of changes, especially with its new platform, Showcase, covered by legislation, rather than the search results generated.
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 French publishers’ lobby group agreed in January on an author framework for the technology company to pay news publishers for online content, a European premiere.