Google Revives Plan to Launch Its News Platform in Australia

Google is reviving plans to launch its own news website in Australia within weeks, according to Reuters report, on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the launch of the News Showcase product as early as next month is Google's latest tactic in a high-profile campaign against the Australian government's planned legislation to make the company pay local news providers for content that appears in its search engine.

Last June, Google signed deals with seven small local outlets, including The Conversation, for content. It subsequently delayed the launch, citing regulatory conditions, when Australia's competition regulator published a draft copy of the proposed media bargaining code.

The decision to push ahead with the launch was an apparent show of Google's willingness to run its own content deals, negating the need for government-mandated legislation.

Moreover, the spokesman for the firm in Australia declined to comment on Wednesday. In contrast, Google Australia Chief Executive Mel Silva explained at a parliamentary hearing last week the company would pull its flagship search tool from Australia if the laws, the first of their kind in the world went ahead.

Noteworthy, Facebook revealed its plans to launch news tab in UK by 2021 worth £5bn, the firm will pay publishers millions of dollars to feature their content. The publishers including The Economist, The Mirror, The Guardian, Vogue, GQ and Harpers have signed a deal with Facebook for their content to feature in the tab.