Microsoft Says It Would Never “Threaten To Leave” Australia Like Google

Microsoft stated on Wednesday, February 3, it would never threaten to leave Australia after Google suggested it could pull its widely used search engine from the country, reported CNBC.

Google made the threat last month after the Australian government proposed a new law that would force the tech giant to pay news publishers for the right to link to their content.

“One thing is clear: while other tech companies may sometimes threaten to leave Australia, Microsoft will never make such a threat,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, in a statement.

“We are committed to supporting the country’s national security and economic success.”

Microsoft is well placed to capitalize from any fallout between Google and Australia. Google currently dominates search in the country, boasting a 94.5% market share, according to web analytics firm StatCounter, while Microsoft’s Bing holds just 3.6%.  

Smith said that he and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke with Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week, who recently told reporters that Australia “did not respond to threats.”

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