GOOGLE THREATENS TO LEAVE AUSTRALIA

A Google official on Friday said the search engine would have “no real choice,” but to stop making the service available in Australia if the country’s government does not alter a proposed law to pay publishers for news.

The Australian law proposed over the summer states that media companies will be able to request payment from Google and Facebook for news articles posted on the platforms.

Media companies and news organizations have defended the measure, arguing that it would prevent tech companies like Google and Facebook from walking away from compensation negotiations.