New draft revenue-sharing laws recently unveiled by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will lead to user data being handed over to big media companies, and put free services at risk, Google Australia has claimed in an “open letter” to Australians.

In the letter, Google Australia MD Mel Silva, pictured, claims that, if enacted, the new laws will inevitably lead to a “dramatically worse” Google Search and YouTube.

The letter tells Australians: “You’ve always relied on Google Search and YouTube to show you what’s relevant and helpful to you. We could no longer guarantee that under this law.

“The law would force us to give an unfair advantage to one group of businesses – news media businesses – over everyone else who has a Web site, YouTube channel or small businesses.”