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Google brings in Labor-aligned lobbying heavies amid policy skirmish

The tech giant has reshuffled its lobbying team as it prepares to battle Australian tech reforms that threaten to ripple into markets around the world.

John Buckley
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The reshuffle of Google’s lobbying ranks comes amid a frenzy of tech regulation in Australia that has already shown signs of inspiring similar laws in other markets. AP/Brian Melley.

Google has brought in Labor-aligned lobbying heavyweight Hawker Britton to advise the tech giant as it prepares to fight Australia’s attempts to tighten regulation of the sector through a string of high-stakes policy proposals.

The account was won earlier this month, according to the attorney-general’s lobbyist register, and is the clearest sign yet that the search and advertising giant will step up efforts to prevent Labor’s tech agenda from spreading to other markets.

Among the regulatory proposals set to affect the USD2.9 trillion ($4.4 trillion) Alphabet-owned company are world-first social media age restrictions, which are already being considered in Europe, and a new digital competition regime.

Google, which owns YouTube and develops the AI model Gemini, is also one of three named targets of the Albanese government’s news bargaining incentive. The policy is designed to force tech giants to strike commercial deals with news publishers.