Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has recently stated that software major Microsoft Corp is confident that its search engine, Bing, can address the gap in the country if internet giant Google withdraws search from the country over the issue of required payments to media channels.

It has been reported that Australia has introduced laws that are likely to force Google as well as social media major, Facebook Inc., to negotiate payments to domestic media firms whose content links drive traffic to their platforms. However, these large tech companies called the laws inoperable and have stated last month that they are likely to revoke their key operations from the country if the regulations proceed further. Reportedly, those services comprise of Google’s search engine, which as per industry data, holds 94% of the Australia’s search market.

According to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Prime Minister Morrison stated that the software company is poised to expand the presence of its search tool Bing, which is the next best player.

Speaking of his talks with Nadella, Morrison stated that Microsoft seems pretty confident. However, he did not provide any further details about the conversation. Morrison added that the government just want the rules of the digital world to be the same as that of the real world i.e., the physical world.

A Microsoft spokeswoman has stated that the company understands the significance of a vibrant media sector and public interest journalism in a democracy and recognizes the challenges that the media sector has faced over several years through changing business models as well as consumer preferences.

Further, a day before, Josh Frydenberg, Australian treasurer, stated that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, had requested for a meeting regarding the law, and after the conversation it seems that Zuckerberg would not concede on the change.

Source credits: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-media-microsoft/as-google-eyes-australia-exit-microsoft-talks-bing-with-pm-idUSKBN2A118A