Don’t blame us for classified ad decline in newspapers: Google

SYDNEY: Google reiterated on Monday that it is passing on the vast majority of money advertisers pay the Search engine giant directly to Australian publishers and it should not be blamed for classified ads decline in newspapers. The company said it does not object to the idea of an Australian Code called ‘News Media Bargaining Code’ to oversee relationships between news businesses and digital platforms.
“We have already made agreements to pay publishers for content through a licencing program and several Australian publishers have come on board. “But what we don’t agree with is a law that’s totally unworkable from a product and business perspective. We know that many voices have called for changes to the current draft law,” Google said. In a scathing attack on the Australian government’s move to increase bargaining power of media organisations over payment for inclusion of news in its services, Google last month termed the proposed changes unfair, while warning users that the new regulation will affect Google Search and YouTube.