Google's top news executive Richard Gingras told The Guardian that Google won't rule out shutting down Google News in EU countries if the European Parliament enforces a so-called "link tax."

The "link tax" refers to Article 11, a piece of legislation backed by the European Parliament in September, which would require companies like Google to hold licences for linking to publishers.

Gingras said that while it is "not desirable" to shut down services, Google is concerned by the legislation in its current form.

Google's top news executive has hinted that the company is prepared to shut down Google News in Europe if it is stung by new EU legislation.

Richard Gingras, Google's vice president of news, told The Guardian that he won't rule out switching off the news service in response to the EU's proposed crackdown on online copyright infringement, referred to as the "link tax."

The "link tax" refers to Article 11, a piece of legislation backed by the EU in September, which would force companies such as Google to hold a licence to link to publishers.

The legislation including Article 11 was proposed in July, but was rejected following criticism that it was too sweeping. Article 11 was amended so that hyperlinks to articles with an "individual word" description would not be penalised, and journalists would be entitled to remuneration by their publishers if their articles are used by news aggregators. The legislation faces a final vote in early 2019.

Related: Google employees stage worldwide walkout

26 PHOTOS Google employees stage worldwide walkout See Gallery Google employees stage worldwide walkout Gente se concentra frente a la sede de Google en Londres, jueves 1 de noviembre de 2018. Cientos de ingenieros y otros trabajadores de Google abandonen sus puestos de trabajo por la mañana en protesta por el trato indulgente que el gigante de internet dio a directivos acusados de una conducta sexual inapropiada. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP) Google employees outside its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, Thursday Nov. 1, 2018. Hundreds of Google engineers and other workers walked off the job Thursday morning to protest the internet company’s lenient treatment of executives accused of sexual misconduct. Employees were seen staging walkouts at offices in Tokyo, Singapore, London, and Dublin. (Niall Carson/PA via AP) Google employees outside its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, Thursday Nov. 1, 2018. Hundreds of Google engineers and other workers walked off the job Thursday morning to protest the internet company’s lenient treatment of executives accused of sexual misconduct. Employees were seen staging walkouts at offices in Tokyo, Singapore, London, and Dublin. (Niall Carson/PA via AP) Google employees outside its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, Thursday Nov. 1, 2018. Hundreds of Google engineers and other workers walked off the job Thursday morning to protest the internet company’s lenient treatment of executives accused of sexual misconduct. Employees were seen staging walkouts at offices in Tokyo, Singapore, London, and Dublin. (Niall Carson/PA via AP) Google employees outside its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, Thursday Nov. 1, 2018. Hundreds of Google engineers and other workers walked off the job Thursday morning to protest the internet company’s lenient treatment of executives accused of sexual misconduct. Employees were seen staging walkouts at offices in Tokyo, Singapore, London, and Dublin. (Niall Carson/PA via AP) People gather outside the Google offices in Granary Sqaure, London, Thursday Nov. 1, 2018. Hundreds of Google engineers and other workers walked off the job Thursday morning to protest the internet company’s lenient treatment of executives accused of sexual misconduct. Employees were seen staging walkouts at offices in Tokyo, Singapore, London, and Dublin. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP) Google staff stage a walkout at the company's UK headquarters in London on November 1, 2018 as part of a global campaign over the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment. - Hundreds of employees walked out of Google's European headquarters in Dublin on Thursday as part of a global campaign over the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment that saw similar protests in London and Singapore. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (Photo credit should read TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images) Google staff stage a walkout at the company's UK headquarters in London on November 1, 2018 as part of a global campaign over the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment. - Hundreds of employees walked out of Google's European headquarters in Dublin on Thursday as part of a global campaign over the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment that saw similar protests in London and Singapore. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (Photo credit should read TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images) Google staff stage a walkout at the company's UK headquarters in London on November 1, 2018 as part of a global campaign over the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment. - Hundreds of employees walked out of Google's European headquarters in Dublin on Thursday as part of a global campaign over the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment that saw similar protests in London and Singapore. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (Photo credit should read TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images) Google staff stage a walkout at the company's UK headquarters in London on November 1, 2018 as part of a global campaign over the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment. - Hundreds of employees walked out of Google's European headquarters in Dublin on Thursday as part of a global campaign over the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment that saw similar protests in London and Singapore. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (Photo credit should read TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images) Google employees at its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, join others from around the world walking out of their offices in protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images) The Google offices in Granary Square, London where some members of staff staged a walkout as a part of a protest over the company's treatment of women. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau/PA Images via Getty Images) Google employees at its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, join others from around the world walking out of their offices in protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images) Google employees at its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, join others from around the world walking out of their offices in protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images) Google employees at its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, join others from around the world walking out of their offices in protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images) Google employees at its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, join others from around the world walking out of their offices in protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images) Google employees at its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, join others from around the world walking out of their offices in protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images) Google employees at its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, join others from around the world walking out of their offices in protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images) People gather next to the Google office to attend the Google Walkout in Dublin, Ireland November 1, 2018 in this picture obtained from social media. Twitter/Cathal Curry/REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. People gather next to the Google office to attend the Google Walkout in Dublin, Ireland November 1, 2018 in this picture obtained from social media. Twitter/Cathal Curry/REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. Workers stand outside the Google offices after walking out as part of a global protest over workplace issues in Dublin, Ireland, November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne Workers stand outside Google's European headquarters after walking out as part of a global protest over workplace issues, in Dublin, Ireland, November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne Hello from Google in London. A groups just came out for the #googlewalkout https://t.co/nTeZ9rSAKC Confirming: the Google Walkout is real and deeply inspiring. Hundreds of people are demanding structural change, no… https://t.co/vUlZmGOfHB Google workers here in Dublin walk out in protest against sexism, racism and unchecked executive power in the compa… https://t.co/WvjH8YAyQF Google employees in Dublin starting their walkout in protest at the recent revelations about the treatment of women… https://t.co/fZQrbBziUT Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE

Gingras said the future of Google News in Europe will depend on whether the EU is willing to change the language around Article 11. "We can't make a decision until we see the final language," he said.

Gingras added that while it is "not desirable to shut down services," Google is concerned by the proposals as they stand at the moment.

He also pointed out that this would not be the first time Google has shuttered its news service.

In 2014, the Spanish government introduced similar legislation forcing aggregation sites to pay for links to news articles, and Google responded by shutting down its news service in Spain, where it is still inactive. Gringas told the Guardian this led to a fall in traffic to Spanish news websites.

"We would not like to see that happen in Europe," Gingras told The Guardian. "Right now what we want to do is work with stakeholders."

He emphasized that Google News is not a massively profitable part of the company's business, but is a valuable social tool for users.

"There's no advertising in Google News. It is not a revenue-generating product to Google. We think it's valuable as a service to society. We are proud to have it as part of the stable of properties that people have," Gringas said.

Related: Google CEO Sundar Pichai

33 PHOTOS Google CEO Sundar Pichai See Gallery Google CEO Sundar Pichai FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2018, file photo Google CEO Sundar Pichai appears before the House Judiciary Committee to be questioned about the company's privacy security and data collection, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping down from their roles within the parent company, Alphabet. Pichai will stay in his role and also become CEO of Alphabet. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) Sundar Pichai kept his calm at a December 2018 hearing where he faced intense questioning from US lawmakers White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump, left, arrives with Google CEO Sundar Pichai for a round table discussion at El Centro College in Dallas, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Google Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai attends a session of the fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China, December 3, 2017. REUTERS/Aly Song Google's CEO Sundar Pichai speaks on stage during a conference tagged 'Google for Nigeria' in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, July 27, 2017. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye Google Inc CEO Sundar Pichai speaks during a launch event in San Francisco, California, U.S. October 4, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks on stage during the annual Google I/O developers conference in San Jose, California, U.S., May 17, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks on stage during the annual Google I/O developers conference in San Jose, California, U.S., May 17, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam Google CEO Sundar Pichai delivers his keynote address during the Google I/O 2016 developers conference in Mountain View, California, U.S. May 18, 2016. REUTERS/Stephen Lam TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Sundar Pichai, Senior Vice President for Products, delivers his keynote address during the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco, California May 28, 2015. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith Sundar Pichai, Google's senior vice president of products, speaks during a presentation at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona March 2, 2015. Ninety thousand executives, marketers and reporters gather in Barcelona this week for the telecom operators Mobile World Congress, the largest annual trade show for the global wireless industry. REUTERS/Albert Gea (SPAIN - Tags: BUSINESS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS TELECOMS) Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Google Chrome, speaks during Google I/O Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, California June 28, 2012. REUTERS/Stephen Lam (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY) Sundar Pichai, Google's senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Apps, speaks about wearables during his keynote address at the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco June 25, 2014. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Chrome at Google, discusses recent advancements and changes to Chrome during the keynote address at the Google I/O Developers Conference in the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, May 11, 2011. REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach (UNITED STATES - Tags: SCI TECH BUSINESS) WUZHEN, CHINA - DECEMBER 03: Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., speaks during the 4th World Internet Conference on December 3, 2017 in Wuzhen, China. The 4th World Internet Conference - Wuzhen Summit themed with 'Developing digital economy for openness and shared benefits -- building a community of common future in cyberspace.' is held from Dec 3 to 5 in Wuzhen of Zhejiang. (Photo by Du Yang/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images) WUZHEN, CHINA - DECEMBER 03: Google CEO Sundar Pichai attends the opening ceremony of the 4th World Internet Conference on December 3, 2017 in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province of China. The 4th World Internet Conference - Wuzhen Summit themed with 'Developing digital economy for openness and shared benefits -- building a community of common future in cyberspace.' is held from Dec 3 to 5 in Wuzhen of Zhejiang. (Photo by VCG via Getty Images) Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., speaks during the Google I/O Annual Developers Conference in Mountain View, California, U.S., on Wednesday, May 17, 2017. Google's artificial intelligence-based voice Assistant is on more than 100 million devices now, and the company is leveraging a longtime competitor to expand the technology to even more people.ï¿½Photographer: Michael Short/Bloomberg via Getty Images MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - MAY 17: Google CEO Sundar Pichai delivers the keynote address at the Google I/O 2017 Conference at Shoreline Amphitheater on May 17, 2017 in Mountain View, California. The three-day conference will highlight innovations including Google Assistant. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) NEW DELHI, INDIA JANUARY 4: Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks during Digital Unlocked Google event at Taj palace on January 4, 2017 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Pradeep Gaur/Mint via Getty Images) KHARAGPUR, INDIA - JANUARY 5: Google CEO Sundar Pichai interacts with students at IIT Kharagpur campus on January 5, 2017 in Kharagpur, India. For Pichai, it was an emotional homecoming, his first visit to his alma mater since he graduated from IIT Kharagpur in 1993. (Photo by Samir Jana/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) NEW DELHI, INDIA JANUARY 4: Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks during Digital Unlocked Google event at Taj palace on January 4, 2017 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Pradeep Gaur/Mint via Getty Images) KHARAGPUR, INDIA - JANUARY 5: Google CEO Sundar Pichai interacts with students at IIT Kharagpur campus on January 5, 2017 in Kharagpur, India. For Pichai, it was an emotional homecoming, his first visit to his alma mater since he graduated from IIT Kharagpur in 1993. (Photo by Samir Jana/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., speaks during the company's Cloud Next '17 event in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. The Cloud Next conference brings together industry experts to discuss the future of cloud computing. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Google Inc CEO, Sundar Pichai (C) talks to a group of woman known as 'Internet Sathis' who learn mobile internet from Google and then teach other villagers, in Gokulpur village some 140 kms west of Kolkata on January 5, 2017. / AFP / Chandan KHANNA (Photo credit should read CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images) CEO of Google Inc. Sundar Pichai looks on as he attends a meeting about partnering with small business in New Delhi on January 4, 2017. / AFP / Dominique Faget (Photo credit should read DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images) Google Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai gestures as he addresses students during a forum at The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur in Kharagpur, some 120kms west of Kolkata on January 5, 2017. / AFP / Chandan KHANNA (Photo credit should read CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images) Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., speaks during a news conference in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Google expects to have a dedicated cloud region for India later this year, Pichai said. Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg via Getty Images Google Inc CEO, Sundar Pichai (C) talks to a group of woman known as 'Internet Sathis' who learn mobile internet from Google and then teach other villagers, in Gokulpur village some 140 kms west of Kolkata on January 5, 2017. / AFP / Chandan KHANNA (Photo credit should read CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images) Google CEO Sundar Pichai during a visit to Argyle Primary School, in London, alongside Minister for Digital Policy Matt Hancock, as Google announced plans to bring VR technology to one million schoolchildren in the UK as part of a new learning initiative. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images) Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., speaks during an event at Google's Kings Cross office in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. After being criticized for not paying its fair share of British tax, Alphabet Inc.s Google unit is trying to show its a good corporate citizen by offering five hours of free digital skills training to all U.K. residents. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., speaks during an event at Google's Kings Cross office in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. After being criticized for not paying its fair share of British tax, Alphabet Inc.s Google unit is trying to show its a good corporate citizen by offering five hours of free digital skills training to all U.K. residents. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., pauses during an event at Google's Kings Cross office in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. After being criticized for not paying its fair share of British tax, Alphabet Inc.s Google unit is trying to show its a good corporate citizen by offering five hours of free digital skills training to all U.K. residents. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google Inc., listens to a speaker during an event at Google's Kings Cross office in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. After being criticized for not paying its fair share of British tax, Alphabet Inc.s Google unit is trying to show its a good corporate citizen by offering five hours of free digital skills training to all U.K. residents. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE

This isn't the first time Google has pushed back against the EU's new copyright legislation. Along with Article 11 the EU introduced Article 13, which would require companies like Reddit, Facebook, and Google-owned YouTube to monitor and remove copyright infringement on their platforms.

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki pushed back against Article 13 in a Financial Times op-ed last week, saying EU residents were at risk of being "cut off" from videos on the site.

Google declined to comment when contacted by Business Insider.

NOW WATCH: How to train the last days before a marathon

See Also:

SEE ALSO: Tim Cook defends Apple taking billions from Google after his blistering attack on data hoarding tech firms

More from :

Defector shot 5 times while escaping says 80% of younger North Koreans aren't loyal to Kim Jong Un

Facebook sinks after Mark Zuckerberg reportedly says leaks are caused by 'bad morale' (FB)

Chipotle is under fire after terminating a manager who refused to serve customers she suspected of dining and dashing, and it reveals a massive problem plaguing restaurants and retailers (CMG)