There was a bill in Australia that would have fined online platforms up to 5 percent of their global income if they didn’t stop the spread of false information. However, the government has taken the bill back.
The Labour government backed the bill, which would have let the Australian Communications and Media Authority make rules about fake news on the internet that could be enforced.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said in a statement that the bill would have “brought about a level of transparency that has never been seen before, holding big tech accountable for their systems and processes to stop and lessen the spread of harmful misinformation and disinformation online.”
But, she said, “it is clear from public statements and conversations with Senators that there is no way to get this proposal through the Senate.”
When a new version of the bill was presented in September, Elon Musk, who owns X (formerly Twitter), called it “fascists” in a single post.
Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman spoke out against the bill, saying that it would make sites chill free speech to avoid getting fined. Coleman wrote on Facebook that the bill was a “shocking attack on free speech that betrayed our democracy” and asked the prime minister to “rule out any future version of this legislation.” The bill doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
Rowland’s statement, on the other hand, asked Parliament to back “other proposals to strengthen democratic institutions and keep Australians safe online.” These included laws against “deep fakes,” rules for “truth in political advertising for elections,” and rules for AI.
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A plan to ban social media for kids under 16 is also being worked on by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
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