Microsoft may replace Google in Australia

The Australian PM Scott Morrison has said that software giant Microsoft Corp is confident its search product Bing can fill the gap in Australia if Google pulls its search over required payments to media outlets. "I can tell you, Microsoft's pretty confident, when I spoke to Satya," Morrison on Monday told reporters in Canberra. "We just want the rules in the digital world to be the same that exist in the real world, in the physical world," Morrison added.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has since spoken with Morrison about the new rules, the tech company told Reuters, and on Monday, Morrison said the software company was ready to grow the presence of its search tool Bing, the distant No. 2 player. A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed the discussion took place but declined to comment, because the company was not directly involved in the laws. "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," the spokeswoman said. Google declined to comment.

Australia has introduced laws that would force internet giant Google and social media heavyweight Facebook Inc to negotiate payments to domestic media outlets whose content links drive traffic to their platforms. However, the Big Tech firms have called the laws unworkable and said last month they would withdraw key services from Australia if the regulations went ahead. Those services include Google's search engine, which has 94% of the country's search market, according to industry data.