Australian officials propose new laws Targeting misinformation onlineCritics have slammed these measures as potentially over-policing and a possible crackdown on “differences”.
“The misinformation law introduced into federal parliament today is a horrific attack on every Australian’s right to freedom of speech,” said John Storey, director of law and policy at the Institute of Public Affairs. “The new bill broadens provisions to censor freedom of speech that were not even included in the government’s fatally flawed first draft.” told Sky News,
Storey called the proposed laws “the greatest attack on freedom of expression in Australia’s peacetime history”.
Australian Communications Minister Introducing the plan on Thursday, Michelle Rowland told parliament the laws were aimed at tackling misinformation and disinformation. Rowland described such issues as a “serious threat” to Australia’s “security and wellbeing”.
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These laws would fine companies that enable misinformation up to 5% of their global revenue if they fail to stop the spread of misinformation, and require tech companies to set out codes of conduct specifically for tackling misinformation through an approved regulator.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (centre) addresses the leaders’ plenary session during the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Australia on March 6, 2024. (Joel Carrett/Pool via Reuters/File Photo)
The law calls for up to seven years in prison for stealing a person’s personal information — a term used when someone publicly discloses private information about another person online or uses that information to exploit them — and parents can sue for “serious violations of privacy” involving their children. The Guardian reported,
The government scrapped a previous version of the laws after facing widespread condemnation, and the Free Speech Union of Australia argued the new laws failed to address “key issues” raised by the first attempt “despite public concern”.
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There is similar resentment in the media world over the new laws. Elon Musk A brief tweet on the subject called the Australian government “fascist”. Labor Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones called Musk’s remarks “crazy stuff” and insisted the issue was a matter of “sovereignty”.
“Whether it’s the Australian government or any other government around the world, we insist on our right to pass laws that will keep Australians safe – Safe from fraudsters“We are protected from criminals,” Jones replied.
Attorney General Mark Dreyfus during Question Time in the House of Representatives at the Australian Parliament House on August 22, 2024 in Canberra, Australia. (Tracy Neary/Getty Images)
storey, in one Statement issued last year When the government explained its intention to develop these penalties for alleged misinformation, it called the effort a “deception”, arguing that the government wanted to “conflate the security of Australians… with the federal government’s plan to empower bureaucrats in Canberra with the power to determine official truth.”
“The federal government is using growing concerns about existing tensions in parts of our community, and the fears of parents and others about harmful online content, as a tool to push through legislation that would virtually impose political censorship,” Story said.
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Officials have argued that the country faces a foreign threat because of the influence being spread through social media platforms, and they are concerned about the impact this will have on the upcoming federal election, which is scheduled to take place next year. According to the Economic Times,
Aboriginal and Australian flags fly at the top of ANZAC Hill in the centre of Alice Springs while a crowd gathers for a smoking ceremony with traditional owner Kumali Kngwarreay. Indigenous Australians react to the result of Indigenous voice in parliament which failed to win a majority vote on October 14, 2023. (Tamathi Smith for The Washington Post)
However, the government loosened its stance on some measures, such as limiting the scope to information that is “verifiable… false, misleading or fraudulent” and “reasonably likely to cause harm”, as well as excluding “reasonable dissemination of material for any educational, artistic, scientific or religious purpose”.
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The issue came into sharp focus during the Australian Indigenous voice referendum, which sought to change the Australian Constitution to recognise Indigenous Australians in the document. The measure ultimately failed, but the uproar during the vote reportedly included the spread of misinformation, which posed a significant concern for authorities.
One example included the claim that the body preparing the referendum would be able to confiscate property or land if the proposal was passed, or that people would have to pay rent to indigenous people if the bill was passed. The New York Times reported,
