Microsoft has come out in full support of a law that could prompt Google to pull out of Australia.
Google has been arguing against a proposed Australian law that would force the company to pay for news, something it has a long history of trying to get around. The company is so adamant that it doesn’t want to pay for news that it has threatened to pull its search engine from Australia if the law goes through.
Microsoft clearly sees an opportunity, with CEO Satya Nadella assuring Prime Minister Scott Morrison the company is confident it could fill the gap. Microsoft isn’t stopping there, however, even going so far as to support the Australian law at the heart of the issue, according to Reuters.
“While Microsoft is not subject to the legislation currently pending, we’d be willing to live by these rules if the government designates us,” the software giant said in a statement.
Microsoft appears to be pushing hard to gain market share Google is on the verge of walking away from. If the company can pull it off, it may well have found a way to make up significant ground in the search engine wars.