SYDNEY: US tech giant Google stepped up its public relations campaign against Australian regulation Friday, presenting all search users Down Under with a “proposal” to water down planned rules.
Australians searching for any term were presented with a pop-up setting out the company’s opposition to proposed legislation that would force them to pay news companies for content.
Google and Facebook have vehemently opposed the proposed rules, which are designed to rebalance the relationship between long-struggling news companies and tech giants that dominate the online advertising market.
Under the new laws, the firms would be required to compensate Australian media outlets — ranging from Rupert Murdoch’s giant News Corp to public…
