The Bill proposing a crackdown on misinformation and disinformation on tech platforms has been formally dumped by the federal government.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland conceded the government was unable to drum up the support needed to pass the legislation, with the coalition, Greens and crossbench senators voicing their opposition.
“Based on public statements and engagements with senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the Senate,” Rowland told AAP.
Neos Kosmos reported on how the (now dead) Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill 2024 sparked intense debate among those in the communities, faith and cultural, as well as media.
According to the Bill, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) was to be given “new powers and introduce new obligations on digital platforms to increase their transparency” and show how they handle “misinformation and disinformation on their services,” the minister’s office had written to Neos Kosmos.
The ACMA would seek to regulate online content that spreads “misinformation or disinformation”.
It was aimed at reducing what the minister said was “serious harm,” which included threats to “public health, critical infrastructure, and emergency services.”
It also covered the vilification of individuals or groups based on their race, religion, gender, or other characteristics, as well as “serious harm to the economy,” such as damaging public confidence in financial systems.
The ACMA would have further been able to approve an enforceable industry code of conduct or introduce standards for social media companies if self-regulation fell short.
Opposition communications spokesman David Coleman has fought hard against the bill, arguing it “betrayed our democracy” and should have never been put forward.
“This bill would have had the effect of suppressing the free speech of everyday Australians, as platforms would have censored online content to avoid the threat of big fines,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
“The government should be condemned and should apologise to the Australian people for trying to impose their censorship laws on Australia.”
The Greens took issue with putting the onus on technology giants to self-regulate and decide what is true and false.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said misinformation and disinformation was a problem but said the focus should be on harmful business models.
“We’ve got to get back to the real problem, and that is how these companies profit off these dangerous posts,” she told ABC’s Insiders.
“If you want to stop the dangerous posts spreading like wildfire, hit them where it hurts, and that’s the dollar.”
