Tech giants warn Australia's ‘fake news’ rules could limit free speech

Tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, says it is concerned new legislation designed to limit the spread of online misinformation could have a chilling effect on free speech in Australia, with potential for it to be abused to shut down legitimate debate.

The federal government announced legislation last month that would give the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) new powers, including a potential government-mandated industry-wide standard on misinformation and disinformation.

The laws would give ACMA the power to request specific content or posts be removed from social media sites, but some Coalition MPs have branded it an Orwellian “Ministry of Truth”.

Social media companies could be hit with fines of $2.75 million or 2 per cent of global turnover, whichever is larger, if they repeatedly fail to remove disinformation and misinformation.

Meta’s head of public policy in Australia, Josh Machin, on Tuesday told a Senate inquiry examining foreign interference through social media that the company was happy to be part of a voluntary industry code but was concerned about a compulsory government-run scheme.

Manchin said the draft legislation, which is currently open for public submissions, “empowers the ACMA to, for example, develop binding standards around misinformation and disinformation with some very substantial civil penalties and also criminal penalties for individuals who are involved”.

“That is a part of the legislation that we’re looking at quite closely,” he said.

“We can see some potential for that power to be abused, or for it to be used in a way that inadvertently chills free and legitimate political expression online. We’re thinking through some constructive suggestions.”

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/tech-giants-warn-new-fake-news-rules-could-limit-free-speech-20230711-p5dngw.html

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