Also ‘sets the record straight’ regarding claims made by 10 US state attorneys-general in a lawsuit filed last month against the search giant.
Google has published the findings of a report [PDF] it commissioned, with the messaging focused on the idea that the annual economic value it brings down under is AU$53 billion. The search giant is touting the impact as valued at AU$39 billion for Australian businesses and AU$14 billion for consumers. It says an « overwhelming 97% of the business benefits » are experienced by non-technology sectors, while about 60% goes to small and medium-sized enterprises. « By enabling business expansion through the successful use of products such as Google Ads, the company is estimated to support a total number of 116,200 jobs directly (in companies that have used these products), and a further 162,700 indirectly (in the supply chains of these companies) — this is in addition to its employment of 1,800 people in the country, » the summary of the report says. Google has been in a stoush with the Australian government over its News Media Bargaining Code. The Google’s economic Impact in Australia report is another example provided by the company as to why its presence in Australia is beneficial, arguing previously it barely makes any money from news content — AU$10 million in revenue in 2019 — but that it offers the service as a way of educating and informing Australians.
