A high profile online campaign has drawn the battle lines
between Google and the Australian consumer watchdog (the ACCC),
over proposed new laws which would require Google to share its
advertising revenue with news outlets.
Earlier this week Google began targeting users with an online
campaign in the form of an open letter from its Australian Managing
Director, Mel Silva, which told Australians that the way they use
the search engine everyday was at risk from new regulation begging
proposed by the ACCC.
"We need to let you know about new government
regulation that will hurt how Australians use Google Search and
YouTube," the letter states. "A proposed law, the News Media
Bargaining Code, would force us to provide you with a
dramatically worse Google Search and YouTube, could lead to your
data being handed over to big news businesses, and would put the
free services you use at risk in Australia."
