CANBERRA (AUSTRALIA) – Australia’s political opposition will support proposed legislation pushing Alphabet’s Google and Facebook to pay publishers and broadcasters for content, according to two sources briefed on the matter.
Prospects for the bill, which the US tech giants have clearly opposed, are being widely monitored around the world, expecting other countries to follow suit if Australia is successful in its efforts.
Lawmakers from Australia’s centre-left Labor party were supporting the bill at a meeting in Canberra on Tuesday, said the sources, on condition of anonymity.
It requires support from the opposition as Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s ruling Liberal party has not had a majority in the country’s upper house. The bill is likely to be voted on in parliament as soon as this week.
Google has described the legislation as “unworkable” and has said it would withdraw its search engine from Australia, if there is no agreement between the same. Both companies are trying hard for toning down the legislation, with senior executives holding talks with Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
Google has sought a series of changes, most notably to have its new platform, Showcase, covered by the legislation instead of the search results generated.
This week, Australia’s Seven West Media Ltd became the country’s first major news outlet to strike a licensing deal with Google.