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Sydney (dpa) - In Australia, Google is threatening to shut down its search engine in response to a planned media law.
According to government plans, Internet giants such as Google parent Alphabet and Facebook will pay local media companies in the future when they distribute their content.
The project is not feasible and involves financial risks for Google that could not be calculated, said Mel Silva, the managing director for Google's activities in Australia, at a hearing in the Senate.
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Leaving the Australian market would be "the only rational decision if this law were to be passed," she said.
Silva compared paying media companies to show links to their content to recommending cafes to a friend and then getting a bill from the cafes for mentioning them.
"If you set a price for linking to certain information, then the functioning of search engines is broken and you no longer have a free and open web."
If the bill is passed, Google and Facebook NewsFeed would have to pay broadcasters and publishers for their content in the future.
Otherwise, according to Australian media reports, there are fines of up to ten million Australian dollars (6.3 million euros).
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his administration would not be intimidated by threats.
“Let me be clear: Australia sets the rules for things you can do in Australia.
(...) That's how things work here in Australia. "
He added: "We do not respond to threats."
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210122-99-126299 / 2
Proposed legislation
9News report