Microsoft Eager to Fill Australia Gap with Bing Engine

Microsoft is confident Bing search will be able to fill the gap in Australia if Google denies its engine over required payments to media outlets, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday.

To remind of the situation, Australia has introduced laws that would force Google and Facebook to provide payments to domestic media outlets whose content links drive traffic to their platforms.

The Big Tech firms have, however, called the laws unworkable and said they would withdraw key services from Australia if the regulations were implemented. 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has since spoken with Morrison about the new rules, and on Monday, Morrison said the software company was ready to grow the presence of its search tool - Bing.

”I can tell you, Microsoft's pretty confident, when I spoke to Satya. We just want the rules in the digital world to be the same that exist in the real world, in the physical world”, Morrison commented. 

"We recognise the importance of a vibrant media sector and public interest journalism in a democracy and we recognise the challenges the media sector has faced over many years through changing business models and consumer preferences”, a Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed.

*The products advertised are only available to clients under Fondex Limited Seychelles (SDL No: SD037).