Google threatens to remove search engine from Australia

Australia is set to introduce a new law which would make Google and other big tech firms pay news outlets for the content the search engine serves to users.

Google balked at the concept that they would have to share revenue with news outlets, and has threatened the Australian government with the withdrawal of their search engine over the pending new law.

The government claims that Google and other platforms gain customers who want to read the news, and hence should pay outlets that produced that news. BBC News reports that the new law would be the first in the world like it, and is being introduced to help the country's struggling mainstream media market.

Google and other big American tech firms are pushing back, saying they're going to pull their search engines from the country if this law is passed.

Google Australia's managing director Mel Silva said the laws were "unworkable" at a Friday Senate hearing. She added "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."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is not buying their excuses, and says lawmakers will not back down due to "threats." He also told reporters that his government it committed to passing this law. "Let me be clear: Australia makes our rules for things you can do in Australia. That's done in our parliament."

Google is the most used search engine in Australia and news accounted for 12.5 percent of the country's Google searches.