The Australian government has withdrawn a measure that would have imposed a fine of up to 5 percent of their global revenue on online platforms if they were unable to prevent the dissemination of misinformation
The bill, which the Labor government supported, would have enabled the Australian Communications and Media Authority to establish enforceable regulations regarding misinformation on digital platforms.
The bill would have “introduced an unprecedented level of transparency, requiring big tech to account for their systems and processes in order to prevent and mitigate the dissemination of harmful misinformation and disinformation online,” Communications Minister Michelle Rowland stated in a statement.
Nevertheless, she stated that “it is evident that there is no viable route to enacting this proposal through the Senate, as evidenced by public statements and interactions with Senators.”
Upon the introduction of a revised version of the bill in September, Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), expressed his disapproval in a single-word post: “Fascists.”
Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman was a vocal opponent of the measure, contending that it would encourage platforms to suppress free speech in order to avoid fines.
Coleman expressed his dissatisfaction with the bill’s apparent demise, stating that it was a “shocking attack on free speech that betrayed our democracy.” He also urged the prime minister to “rule out any future version of this legislation.”
In contrast, Rowland’s statement urged Parliament to support “other proposals to strengthen democratic institutions and keep Australians safe online,” such as legislation targeting deep fakes, enforcing “truth in political advertising for elections,” and AI regulation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also working on a proposal to prohibit the use of social media by children under the age of 16.
