Google is making its biggest investment ever in Australia. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced on Monday that the company would assign 1 billion Australian dollars to the country over the next five years.
This is the first announcement after clashing between the tech giant and the Australian government over a controversial bill. Australian Managing Director Mel Silva has previously said that if this version of the code were to become law, it would give us no real choice but to stop making google searches available in Australia. However, with this new investment plan things seems to have been settled down.
Research Hub
According to sources, the funds will go for launching the firm’s first research hub in Australia. Also, the developing nation’s cloud computing sector. Google has plans to work on projects including clean energy, protection of the Great Barrier Reef, and quantum computing.
Additionally, Google is optimistic about creating new jobs and works on innovation. Google is in Australia for almost two decades. It employs nearly 2000 people locally. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison appreciates the move on Tuesday, calling it ‘’ a $1 billion vote of confidence ‘’ in the economic sector. Morrison’s government is also planning to make Australia a top digital economy by 2030.
Morrison speaking at Google office in Sydney on Tuesday said, ‘’ the plan doesn’t mean we’re trying to be the next silicon valley.’’ But company program would help to create new jobs and add 6.7 billion Australian dollars of value to the economy.
Morrison added, ‘’ our challenge, as we emerge from this pandemic in a very challenging world, is to secure Australia’s economic recovery. That is the challenge we face as we move into 2022, and Australia’s digital Strategy is central to securing that recovery.’’
Controversy
The tech firm is doing its best to reset the relationship between users and the government. As the company has tussled with regulators over legislation that requires both Facebook and Google to make payment for news content.
Google was against this law. Even last year, Google used its homepage to warn Australians. Also, Australian regulators accuse the firm of spreading ‘’misinformation.’’
The tensions were at the peak in January, when google threaten to pull out its search engine if the law move forward. However, things turn out to be different when it was time to vote on the bill. Google became a partner with the country’s largest newsrooms including Rupert Murdoch’s News corps and Seven West Media. Also, Australia made some changes to the code. And politicians and media people appreciate Google’s strategy.