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Updated
Social media giants give cautious support to new misinformation policy
The main lobby group for digital giants have both cautiously backed the government’s plans to address mis and disinformation, while the federal opposition has raised concerns about freedom of speech.
The communications minister, Michelle Rowland, today unveiled new plans to give ACMA power to register and create new industry codes and standards to deal with the issue, with potential penalties up to 5% of a platform’s global turnover.
The Digital Industry Group Inc. (Digi), which represents the likes of Google, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter, said it “shares the Government’s strong commitment to protecting Australians from harms related to misinformation and disinformation”.
A spokesperson said in a statement:
In principle, DIGI supports the granting of new powers to the ACMA that are broadly consistent with their previous recommendations, and we will be closely reviewing the legislation and look forward to participating in the public consultation.
We welcome reinforcement of DIGI’s efforts and the formalisation of our long-term working relationship with the ACMA, as sustained shifts in the fight against mis- and disinformation require a multi-stakeholder approach.
The shadow communications minister, David Coleman, said the Coalition wanted to see “careful and cautious review” of the issue, raising concerns around freedom of speech and expression:
This is a complex area of policy and Government overreach must be avoided.
The public will want to know exactly who decides whether a particular piece of content is ‘misinformation’ or ‘disinformation’.
Coleman noted that the changes “potentially places substantial power in the hands of government officials”:
We will engage with stakeholders and carefully examine the proposed legislation to ensure that it strikes an appropriate balance.
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