Australia Call to break up Google

AUSTRALIA’S competition watchdog has been told to recommend Google be broken up.

The call is in a submission by News Corp Australia to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s digital platforms inquiry.

It is believed to be the first time a major media company anywhere in the world has suggested Google be split into different businesses.

It comes as regulators and politicians around the globe look to the ACCC inquiry for ideas on how to grapple with Google’s growing dominance.

The ACCC is examining the impact of search engines, social media platforms and content aggregators “on the supply of news and journalistic content and the implications of this for media content creators, advertisers and consumers” .

Google has argued it doesn’t harm competition because content is a click away.

News Corp’s submission says Google acts as the gateway to the internet and news content and as an “intermediator” between readers and publishers, ensuring revenue generation for Google at the expense of publishers.

“Google’s prior conduct suggests that more permanent and possibly structural interventions would better preserve the incentives for continued investment in journalism,” News said. Google Australia said it would not comment before seeing the submission.

Source

• The Herald Sun Digital Edition: Call to break up Google
• accc.gov.au
• newscorpaustralia.com