Google scare campaign ramps up

The tech giant has hit back at claims from the ACCC that it is peddling misinformation.

In this file photo taken on September 3, 2019 the US multinational technology and internet-related services company Google logo, is displayed on a tablet screen, in Lille, northern France. (Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP)

Tech giant Google has escalated its attack on Australia’s competition watchdog, denying it has spread misinformation and reiterating that its Search and YouTube products are “at risk in Australia”.

As The Australian reported the consumer watchdog dismissed as “mis­information’’ warnings from Google that proposed laws, that would force it to negotiate a payment to news organisations to include their journalists’ work on its services, would lead to a “dramatically worse Google Search and YouTube’’.

Google has hit back however, with the company declaring in a statement on Tuesday it “strongly disagrees” that it was spreading misinformation.
We are concerned that our view of the Code has been represented this way during a phase of public consultation,” the company said.

“[The ACCC] incorrectly implied that Google indicated in its Open Letter that it would start charging users for Search and YouTube. Google does not intend to charge users for these free services.”

The company also argued the Code requires Google to tell news media businesses what data it collects, what data it supplies to them, and “how the registered news business corporation can gain access to” the data Google doesn’t supply to them.

“It appears clear that the purpose of those obligations is to enable registered news businesses to seek access to the user data,” Google said. “If the intention is that the new law won’t require Google to share additional data with Australian news businesses, then the law should expressly state that.”

Google is also asking users from outside Australia to send their views on Australia’s new rules to the ACCC, as part of a scare campaign about the government’s upcoming mandatory bargaining code.

On Monday Google launched a co-ordinated attack against new legislation designed to force it to treat media companies fairly, posting from global accounts including its “TeamYouTube” profile.

“Your voice is important and you don’t have to be based in Australia to send your views on the draft code to the ACCC,” Google told YouTubers.

“To help support your favourite creators, email [e-mail] by 5pm AEST on 28 August 2020. We’ll share more ways to get involved in the coming days.

Your voice is important and you don’t have to be based in Australia to send your views on the draft code to the ACCC. To help support your favorite creators, email [e-mail] by 5 pm AEST on 28 August 2020. We’ll share more ways to get involved in the coming days.

— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) August 17, 2020

The ACCC has been contacted for comment.

Google’s move comes after Communications Minister Paul Fletcher criticised Google for attempting to label Australian journalism as “big media”, despite commanding a $US1200 billion market capitalisation.

“One of the things that struck me was this item that pops up when you do a Google search refers to the ‘big media’ companies,” he told Sky News host Peter Stefanovic on Tuesday.

“Now let’s get some numbers in this debate. Google has a market capitalisation of $US1.2 trillion ($1.66 trillion).

“The market capitalisation of News Corp – the biggest of the Australian news businesses – is $US9bn. Nine Entertainment is $US2bn.

“This language which attempts to characterise one side of this policy interaction as ‘big businesses’ – and by implication the other side not a big business … let’s be clear: this is about the proper commercial terms for dealings between news media businesses.”

Google alone has ripped hundreds and millions of dollars from Australian media companies in recent years and earned $4.3bn in Australian advertising revenue in 2019.

On Monday Google began bombarding Australian Google users with a pop-up notification whenever they do a Google search saying “the way Aussies use Google is at risk”.