A Royal laugh for Google's Silva at News' expense... and amuse 'one'

Jan 28, 2021 at 10:35 pm by Staff


Google is getting its own back on News Corp with a cheeky switch of linked video content.

A link in a report on national masthead The Australian's news app about a 1969 TV documentary on the British Royal family leads, not to the film itself, but to a video message from Google ANZ managing director Mel Silva in which she complains about Australia's proposed mandatory code controlling the use of news by tech giants.

And it gets worse: Stick around for Silva's message - updated to spruik Google's "alternative" News Showcase product - to end and you'll be rewarded with Kevin Rudd... complaining about News Corp.

Curiously, when I visited the Australian's website, the unofficially-loaded YouTube video runs uninterrupted, even though the news report quotes a Google spokesman that "this video has been removed due to a copyright claim.

"When a copyright claim is filed, we remove the content immediately, as is the case with this upload."

Or not, as the case may be.

At least one of the film's stars, Princess Anne - now the Princess Royal and the Queen's only daughter - should be happy. In the film she expresses her dislike of "the idea" of a royal family film.

"The attention that had been brought on one ever since one was a child, you just didn't want any more," she says.

Pictured: Not amused: Heir to the British throne Prince Charles, Prince of Wales with his mummy in an embedded still from the video

Sections: Digital business

Comments

or Register to post a comment




ADVERTISEMENTS


ADVERTISEMENTS