Google has blocked several news websites for a small number of users in an attempt to conduct experiments to determine the value of its services to Australian news outlets. In 2020, the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) drafted the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code to make companies such as Google and Facebook pay news organisations for their content published in social media and search engines. 

In a response to Google's experiment to block news websites, the Australian government has urged Google to focus on paying for the Australian content instead of removing it. Tech companies have been fighting against the government's attempt to pass the code that will force them to negotiate with Australian news companies over payment for content which appears on their platforms. The code is being discussed by the Australian Senate and is expected to be voted in the first semester of 2021.