Australia has announced a bold move to combat online misinformation by imposing hefty fines on internet platforms that fail to curb the spread of falsehoods.
The upcoming legislation aims to make tech giants responsible for the harmful content on their platforms, in line with the growing global trend of stricter regulations on these influential borderless entities.
The proposed legislation, slated for parliamentary introduction on Thursday, introduces a code of conduct for internet platforms, mandating them to take concrete steps to prevent the dissemination of dangerous misinformation.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will play a pivotal role in overseeing this code, with the power to set its own standards if platforms fail to comply. Non-compliance will result in fines that could reach up to 5% of a platform’s global revenue, a substantial deterrent designed to enforce accountability.
The scope of this legislation is broad, targeting misinformation that undermines election integrity, jeopardizes public health, incites hatred, or risks critical infrastructure and emergency services. The government emphasizes the urgency of addressing this threat, citing the potential for misinformation to erode public trust, disrupt societal harmony, and harm the economy.
However, the proposed legislation has sparked debate, particularly from free speech advocates concerned about the potential for censorship. While the government assures that individual content takedowns or user account suspensions will not be mandated, concerns remain regarding the ACMA’s ability to determine what constitutes misinformation.
Australia ACMA Regulatory Power Raise Concerns
The bill’s previous iteration faced criticism for granting the ACMA excessive power in defining and combating misinformation. The revised legislation aims to address these concerns by clarifying the regulator’s role, protecting journalistic, artistic, and religious content, while explicitly excluding government-authorized content from its purview.
The government cites the strong public sentiment against online misinformation, noting that a significant majority of Australians support action to curb its spread. The legislation also aligns with a global trend of governments seeking to regulate online platforms, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a surge in misinformation related to the virus.
Notably, Meta, which owns Facebook, declined to comment, the industry body DIGI, of which Meta is a member, expressed support for the anti-misinformation code but raised concerns about remaining ambiguities.
