MUSIC FANS LOSE OUT AFTER GOOGLE’S VIAGOGO BACKFLIP

Australian music fans will pay a high price for Google’s decision to lift its advertising ban on ticket reseller Viagogo.

The search giant quietly lifted its ban in recent days, meaning Viagogo is back at the top of the search results for some of Australia’s biggest upcoming concerts and summer festivals.

This is a terrible decision by Google.

Musicians, fans, promoters and venue operators have long campaigned for Google to clamp down on Viagogo – and in July it appeared they had a major win when Google finally acted.

Google should explain why a mere five months later it has now backflipped.

Viagogo cannot be trusted. For years, it has been selling fake and overpriced tickets that have left countless concertgoers disappointed.

Music fans do not go to Viagogo because it’s the best place to buy tickets – they are directed there by search engines.

With Google now refusing to stick with its ban, Scott Morrison's government should act.

The Government cannot just sit on its hands while consumers are routinely getting ripped off.

It should clamp down on sites like Viagogo, including by legislating a national resale price cap and banning ticket-buying bots.

TUESDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2019