Australia scraps proposals for fines related to 'disinformation'
The opposition has criticized a bill that proposed significant penalties for social media platforms, claiming it seeks to stifle free speech. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The Australian government has abandoned plans to impose fines on social media platforms that fail to curb the spread of "seriously harmful mis and disinformation" online. The ruling Labor Party recognized that its Communications Legislation Amendment Bill lacked sufficient support in parliament.
In a Sunday statement, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland noted that “based on public statements and engagements with Senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the Senate.” She accused the bill’s critics of prioritizing “partisanship above any attempt to navigate the public interest.” Reports from Sky News indicated that the conservative Liberal-National coalition, the Australian Greens, and several crossbench senators all opposed the legislation. The opposition labeled the bill an effort to suppress free speech.
Rowland called on those parties and lawmakers to back other government initiatives aimed at “strengthen[ing] democratic institutions and keep[ing] Australians safe online.” She asserted that “80% of Australians want action” to tackle “seriously harmful mis and disinformation [that] poses a threat to safety, the integrity of elections, democracy and national security.”
The communications minister also stated that the defeated bill “would have ushered in an unprecedented level of transparency, holding big tech to account for their systems and processes to prevent and minimise the spread of harmful misinformation and disinformation online.” The proposed legislation would have specifically addressed issues such as bots, fake accounts, deep fakes, advertising, and monetization.
The bill included provisions for fines of up to 5% of a social media platform's global revenue for non-compliance. It would have mandated companies to submit codes of conduct, with the regulator establishing its own standards if a platform failed to do so.
Recently, the Australian government has intensified its regulatory efforts aimed at foreign tech giants.
On Thursday, Rowland put forth an amendment to the Online Safety Act in parliament, which would require social media platforms to implement reasonable measures for effective age-verification protections. If enacted, the legislation would prohibit access to social media for children under 16, imposing fines of up to AU$50 million on companies that violate the regulations.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
In a Sunday statement, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland noted that “based on public statements and engagements with Senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the Senate.” She accused the bill’s critics of prioritizing “partisanship above any attempt to navigate the public interest.” Reports from Sky News indicated that the conservative Liberal-National coalition, the Australian Greens, and several crossbench senators all opposed the legislation. The opposition labeled the bill an effort to suppress free speech.
Rowland called on those parties and lawmakers to back other government initiatives aimed at “strengthen[ing] democratic institutions and keep[ing] Australians safe online.” She asserted that “80% of Australians want action” to tackle “seriously harmful mis and disinformation [that] poses a threat to safety, the integrity of elections, democracy and national security.”
The communications minister also stated that the defeated bill “would have ushered in an unprecedented level of transparency, holding big tech to account for their systems and processes to prevent and minimise the spread of harmful misinformation and disinformation online.” The proposed legislation would have specifically addressed issues such as bots, fake accounts, deep fakes, advertising, and monetization.
The bill included provisions for fines of up to 5% of a social media platform's global revenue for non-compliance. It would have mandated companies to submit codes of conduct, with the regulator establishing its own standards if a platform failed to do so.
Recently, the Australian government has intensified its regulatory efforts aimed at foreign tech giants.
On Thursday, Rowland put forth an amendment to the Online Safety Act in parliament, which would require social media platforms to implement reasonable measures for effective age-verification protections. If enacted, the legislation would prohibit access to social media for children under 16, imposing fines of up to AU$50 million on companies that violate the regulations.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
