Politics Youtube, Google & The Australian Government

[Snake_Baker]

Open letter to Australians

We need to let you know about new Government regulation that will hurt how Australians use Google Search and YouTube.
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.

The way Aussies search every day on Google is at risk from new regulation

You’ve always relied on Google Search and YouTube to show you what’s most relevant and helpful to you. We could no longer guarantee that under this law. The law would force us to give an unfair advantage to one group of businesses - news media businesses - over everyone else who has a website, YouTube channel or small business. News media businesses alone would be given information that would help them artificially inflate their ranking over everyone else, even when someone else provides a better result. We’ve always treated all website owners fairly when it comes to information we share about ranking. The proposed changes are not fair and they mean that Google Search results and YouTube will be worse for you.

Your Search data may be at risk

You trust us with your data and our job is to keep it safe. Under this law, Google has to tell news media businesses “how they can gain access” to data about your use of our products. There’s no way of knowing if any data handed over would be protected, or how it might be used by news media businesses.

Hurting the free services you use

We deeply believe in the importance of news to society. We partner closely with Australian news media businesses — we already pay them millions of dollars and send them billions of free clicks every year. We’ve offered to pay more to license content. But rather than encouraging these types of partnerships, the law is set up to give big media companies special treatment and to encourage them to make enormous and unreasonable demands that would put our free services at risk.
This law wouldn’t just impact the way Google and YouTube work with news media businesses — it would impact all of our Australian users, so we wanted to let you know. We’re going to do everything we possibly can to get this proposal changed so we can protect how Search and YouTube work for you in Australia and continue to build constructive partnerships with news media businesses — not choose one over the other.
You’ll hear more from us in the coming days — stay tuned.

Thank you,

Mel Silva, Managing Director, on behalf of Google Australia

 

[Snake_Baker]

The real conundrum for me is who I trust the least.

 

[CheapCharlie]

I can't help but think that this attempt at spin will backfire on Google.
Their business model is collect all the content that other companies have provided for free, then use that to charge advertisers on search results and enrich themselves.
It's fine google will provide results for news companies and such, but if they are using the content to make money, what's wrong with them having to pay up?

 

[Ned_Flanders]

I can't help but think that this attempt at spin will backfire on Google.
Their business model is collect all the content that other companies have provided for free, then use that to charge advertisers on search results and enrich themselves.
It's fine google will provide results for news companies and such, but if they are using the content to make money, what's wrong with them having to pay up?

issue is they have to have a business model.

if they have to start paying more for the information we are googling, they will need to get that from somewhere

people forget that early browsers (like Netscape) had to be purchased

 

[Gethelred]

Haven't used google since they started asking for recaptchas; apparently, they don't like my VPN or any of my antitracking measures. Having said that, I don't approve of the government doing this, either. Can the pricks just leave well enough alone?

 

[CheapCharlie]

issue is they have to have a business model.

if they have to start paying more for the information we are googling, they will need to get that from somewhere

people forget that early browsers (like Netscape) had to be purchased

If lawmakers start saying to google ýou have to pay for stealing someone's property and repacking it for advertising revenue" then the business model is flawed

 

[Ned_Flanders]

If lawmakers start saying to google ýou have to pay for stealing someone's property and repacking it for advertising revenue" then the business model is flawed

are you happy to pay $100 for a browser moving forward? Or set up an account that debits $0.10 per use?

 

[CheapCharlie]

are you happy to pay $100 for a browser moving forward? Or set up an account that debits $0.10 per use?

$100 you say!
0.10 per use!
You have jumped 31 steps ahead

 

[Ned_Flanders]

$100 you say!
0.10 per use!
You have jumped 31 steps ahead

no, Im pointing out the obvious

before google monetized via advertising and search data sales, you paid for a browser. something like Netscape used to cost $60, which was on par for the equivalent of a AAA game back then (so $100 now isnt insane)

the alternate is either pay for each search or get a subscription.

or do you want google nationalized by the US taxpayer?

 

[Corpuscles]

Dear Mel

I think most Australians might take more notice or have more sympathy of your open letter if you and your organisation was fair to Australians collectively and actually paid corporate tax on the billions of profits made in this country , instead of elaborate tax shelter arrangement via transfer pricing schemes or management fees, paid to a phoney non entity in Ireland.

Oh, also if you are going to provide links in your open letter to all Australians it might be a good idea not to link information to a pay to view Bloomberg media site , owned by another thieving tax shelter using organisation that you obviously favour.

Where can a I see the detailed facts about these laws? Not just what you claim about them.

If you want news then pay for it.

Oh and your organisation also collects massive personal data and uses it without our /my permission, to generate unwanted, unrequested targeted advertising.
Where do I send my bill for such information C/- Google Gangsters Ireland Inc ?
Hypocrite much.


Cheers
Corp

 

[CheapCharlie]

no, Im pointing out the obvious

before google monetized via advertising and search data sales, you paid for a browser. something like Netscape used to cost $60, which was on par for the equivalent of a AAA game back then (so $100 now isnt insane)

the alternate is either pay for each search or get a subscription.

or do you want google nationalized by the US taxpayer?

What is obvious for your claim? Can you provide any evidence for this?

Before google, the internet and the monetization of information was nothing like it is today. Comparing an internet model of 20 years ago as something that will make a comeback seems a fool's errand

You are claiming that the only alternative will be to pay for a google search or actually have to pay to get behind the paywall of some News companies?
There will be plenty of alternate business models put out there to cover the search for information, none of which I expect will come with a cost...

Google will change its search criteria and still make money, or if it can't then clearly their business model was not sustainable.



What google is fearing is that this could be the start for all sorts of industries to say enough of you stealing our information and monetising it google, we will do that ourselves

 

[Ned_Flanders]

What is obvious for your claim? Can you provide any evidence for this?

Before google, the internet and the monetization of information was nothing like it is today. Comparing an internet model of 20 years ago as something that will make a comeback seems a fool's errand

You are claiming that the only alternative will be to pay for a google search or actually have to pay to get behind the paywall of some News companies?
There will be plenty of alternate business models put out there to cover the search for information, none of which I expect will come with a cost...

Google will change its search criteria and still make money, or if it can't then clearly their business model was not sustainable.



What google is fearing is that this could be the start for all sorts of industries to say enough of you stealing our information and monetising it google, we will do that ourselves

let me break it down simply - they need income. if you raise the cost of searching for data more than the revenue it receives in ads and data sales, they will need to get revenue from somewhere else.

and this doesnt stop with news. Sporting orgs and media groups are already pushing for their content to be paid for at much higher levels.

This and the elimination of net neutrality have been on the agenda in the USA for some time.

im surprised someone in australia is cheerleading this - as a nation that imports more content than we generate, we will cop the nasty end of the pineapple on this

 

[CheapCharlie]

let me break it down simply - they need income. if you raise the cost of searching for data more than the revenue it receives in ads and data sales, they will need to get revenue from somewhere else.

and this doesnt stop with news. Sporting orgs and media groups are already pushing for their content to be paid for at much higher levels.

This and the elimination of net neutrality have been on the agenda in the USA for some time.

im surprised someone in australia is cheerleading this - as a nation that imports more content than we generate, we will cop the nasty end of the pineapple on this

How much of Googles US$160Billion income will be affected by this legislation?
Please break it down for me

 

[Ned_Flanders]

How much of Googles US$160Billion income will be affected by this legislation?
Please break it down for me

you think it will stay only with newspapers? you really are naïve

 

[Frank Bunn]

The real conundrum for me is who I trust the least.

The Google letter is hilarious.

You’ve always relied on Google Search and YouTube to show you what’s most relevant and helpful to you.​

Google and Youtube search algorithms are designed to find what they want you to see, not what is relevant and helpful to you.

 

[Suspense]

I can't help but think that this attempt at spin will backfire on Google.
Their business model is collect all the content that other companies have provided for free, then use that to charge advertisers on search results and enrich themselves.
It's fine google will provide results for news companies and such, but if they are using the content to make money, what's wrong with them having to pay up?

Google is using its power (web search dominance) to 'force' media publishers to host their content on Google's servers - giving Google the ad revenue.

If media publishers such as News Corp don't want to play ball, they can simply agree not have their content hosted on Google's servers - they just won't have their news articles preferenced in Google's search results. They can continue with print and their own online, paywall platform - and Google won't be entitled to a cent of their ad revenue.

In a free-market, Google has the right to determine who and how its algorithms preference news in search results, just like Rupert has the right to determine how he runs his organisation. If the users are unhappy with Google's search results, they can go to another search engine.

As usual, hypercapitalist shitstains like Rupert only support free-market principles when it suits them. As soon as it turns against them, they start crying to the Govt and demanding regulation.

 

[HairyO]

Google are true blue Aussie battlers.

We need to get behind them and keep allowing them to monetise our personal information.

 

[CheapCharlie]

you think it will stay only with newspapers? you really are naïve

Jeez, at least i don't live in a fantasy world of the past of where things "might happen" but no based on any actual data or commercial likelihood.
I'm not surprised you have swallowed the Google propaganda

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Jeez, at least i don't live in a fantasy world of the past of where things "might happen" but no based on any actual data or commercial likelihood.
I'm not surprised you have swallowed the Google propaganda

go back and read, where have I said newscorp and co arent entitled to a bigger cut? what ive said is when this happens someone will have to pay for it

let me guess, you're a millennial and just assume someone else always pays for everything and you get your life gifted to you for free?

 

[CheapCharlie]

go back and read, where have I said newscorp and co arent entitled to a bigger cut? what ive said is when this happens someone will have to pay for it

let me guess, you're a millennial and just assume someone else always pays for everything and you get your life gifted to you for free?

You are the guy who is defending Google and its billions and crying a river over a fictional future of being charged for using Google.

let me guess, you're a millennial and just assume someone else always pays for everything and you get your life gifted to you for free?

 

[Gigantic]

I don't feel bad for Google one bit.

Their responses has been absolute hodge podge and trying to spread misinformation.