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Google threatens to withdraw search engine from Australia
BBC ^ | Jan 22 | BBC

Posted on 01/22/2021 2:44:25 AM PST by RandFan

Google has threatened to remove its search engine from Australia over the nation's attempt to make the tech giant share royalties with news publishers.

Australia is introducing a world-first law to make Google, Facebook and potentially other tech companies pay media outlets for their news content.

But the US firms have fought back, warning the law would make them withdraw some of their services.

Australian PM Scott Morrison said lawmakers would not yield to "threats".

Though Australia is far from Google's largest market, the proposed news code is seen as a possible global test case for how governments could seek to regulate big tech firms.

Australia's code would tie Google and Facebook to mediated negotiations with publishers over the value of news content, if no agreement could be reached first.

Google Australia managing director Mel Silva told a Senate hearing on Friday that 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," she said.

But lawmakers challenged this, accusing Google of "blackmail" and bullying Australia for raising the reform.

"It's going to go worldwide. Are you going to pull out of every market, are you? Is this about stopping the precedence?" asked Senator Rex Patrick

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: google; uganda
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To: RandFan

Google’s revenues from Australia are $4.8 billion — which is about 10% of its total global revenue. So not a small market


21 posted on 01/22/2021 3:56:27 AM PST by Cronos
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To: SmokingJoe

“australia would be better off without Google. As will every country” — its not so black and white. There is no other search engine technology that gives you the results google does now


22 posted on 01/22/2021 3:57:57 AM PST by Cronos
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To: SmokingJoe

it’s a big win for news creators. not so sure about the patriotism part. I think this is needed, but I also KNOW that google is an integral part of our modern internet world (outside china)


23 posted on 01/22/2021 3:59:48 AM PST by Cronos
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To: SmokingJoe

24 posted on 01/22/2021 4:01:38 AM PST by Cronos
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To: Cronos
There is no other search engine technology that gives you the results google does now

Things change.

25 posted on 01/22/2021 4:06:16 AM PST by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
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To: SmokingJoe

Didn’t Google bend over for the Communist Chinese government and censor the web for them?


26 posted on 01/22/2021 4:10:28 AM PST by KarlInOhio (The greatest threat to world freedom is the Chinese Communist Party and Joe Biden is their puppet.)
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To: Cronos

> There is no other search engine technology that gives you the results google does now

True. How else can you get pages of results carefully biased to sponge away our existence and that of other thought dissenting from leftist orthodoxy?


27 posted on 01/22/2021 4:22:49 AM PST by No.6
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To: RandFan

That would be fantastic for Australia.


28 posted on 01/22/2021 4:26:54 AM PST by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem)
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To: Cronos

I find that I get the same results with Bing. Haven’t used Google in years


29 posted on 01/22/2021 4:31:45 AM PST by rivercat
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To: Cronos
its not so black and white. There is no other search engine technology that gives you the results google does no

You are kidding right?
Search results are pretty much the same across different search engines.
The Chinese use Baidu and I don't see them losing anything .
These days, search engines are like cars, pretty much a commodity. I am sure Bing will be very happy for Google ton get out of Australia so Bing can clean up.

30 posted on 01/22/2021 4:35:01 AM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: SmokingJoe

Nope, I’m not kidding.

Bing vs google vs duckduckgo. Google has a wider range of results and better categorization. Of course they also have a lot more data to make better page ranking choices.

The Chinese use Baidu within China for Chinese sites — Baidu offers higher ranking to sites with servers located in China, as well as sites with content written in Chinese languages. This is sometimes referred to as “The Great Firewall.”

you are correct that Bing will be very happy — and I do a lot of work for MS, so i’ll be happy too :) — however my point remains that no other search engine will give you the results NOW that google does. If Bing gets access to the petabytes of search data it can improve as well, but it isn’t there now


31 posted on 01/22/2021 4:39:20 AM PST by Cronos
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To: mewzilla
Google isn’t an adversary.

It’s an ally.

It's a weapon.

China didn't want that weapon to be pointed ar them.

32 posted on 01/22/2021 4:40:50 AM PST by null and void (Trump is just the appetizer, We the People are the main course.)
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To: Cronos
There is no other search engine technology that gives you the results google does now

Google is politically compromised.

It is absolutely necessary that competition for Google be developed.

Google has handed Australia a great opportunity.

33 posted on 01/22/2021 4:42:51 AM PST by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries. )
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To: KarlInOhio
Didn't Google bend over for the Communist Chinese government and censor the web for them?

They did to an extent, but the Chinese banned Google anyway. They block Gogole from China but a little bit still manages to slip through giving Google about a 3% share.
They really don’t want some American company controlling what the Chinese see when they do a serach on the internet.
After watching the US tech giants help the Dems steal the presidential elections, I have to say the Chinese were right.

All platforms: search engine market share in China May 2019
Baidu: 64.55%
Sogou: 18.32%
Shenma: 7.97%
Haosou 360: 3.27%
Google: 3.23%
bing: 2.45%

https://www.marketmechina.com/baidu-search-engine-market-share-in-china-may-2019/

34 posted on 01/22/2021 4:43:24 AM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: RandFan

Google do the same to the USA!

Google, free the USA from Google!


35 posted on 01/22/2021 4:43:51 AM PST by Chgogal (Hey Biden, I am a loyal supporter of the Biden's Banana Republic!)
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To: Cronos
The Chinese consumers are one of the most hi tech consumers on the planet right now. For examplei electronic payments far more in use than the US, yet almost all their search engines are supplied by Chinese search engines. Not having Google hasn't affected them in any way that I can see.
They are doing great without Google, same as Australia will continue to do great without Google.
You seriously overestimate how countries can do without Google.
I haven't even used Google search for years and I am still better informed than most Americans on any number of issues.

All platforms: search engine market share in China May 2019
Baidu: 64.55%
Sogou: 18.32%
Shenma: 7.97%
Haosou 360: 3.27%
Google: 3.23%
bing: 2.45%

https://www.marketmechina.com/baidu-search-engine-market-share-in-china-may-2019/

36 posted on 01/22/2021 4:52:07 AM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: SmokingJoe

Good points


37 posted on 01/22/2021 4:54:58 AM PST by Cronos
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To: RandFan

38 posted on 01/22/2021 4:56:13 AM PST by plain talk
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To: SmokingJoe

Tks for doing your DD. Would you be able to find the same for the US & AUS market?


39 posted on 01/22/2021 4:59:36 AM PST by existentially_kuffer
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To: existentially_kuffer

In post #24....but remember China’s “Great Firewall” blocks Google (& Facebook & Twitter, etc.) so Google’s #’s in China are low...only rebel VPN users can access Google in China.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_mainland_China


40 posted on 01/22/2021 5:08:02 AM PST by Drago
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