Millions of dollars in fines to punish online misinformation under new draft bill

Australian Broadcasting Corp. ^ | Sun 25 Jun 2023 | Nabil Al-Nashar

[fluorescence]

Online platforms spreading misinformation could face millions of dollars in penalties under new proposed government legislation that bolsters the power of Australia's media watchdog.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) would be armed with the ability to require digital platforms to keep certain records about matters regarding misinformation and disinformation and turn them over when requested.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said this would "essentially mean that the regulator is able to look under the hood of what the platforms are doing and what measures they are taking to ensure compliance".

The ACMA would also be able to request the industry to develop a "code of practice" covering measures to combat misinformation.

Violating the code could result in penalties up to $2.75 million dollars or 2 per cent of global turnover — whichever is greater.

And lastly, the ACMA would be empowered to create and enforce its own industry standard.

Penalties for breaching the standards could see companies paying up to $6.8 million or 5 per cent of their global turnover.

Shadow Minister for Communications David Coleman raised some concerns about the new proposed law, noting "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," he said.

According to the draft bill, misinformation is defined as unintentionally false, misleading or deceptive content.

It also defines disinformation as misinformation intentionally disseminated to cause serious harm.

Ms Rowland said "the government has no intention of stifling freedom of speech in this area" but instead aims to "keep Australians safe".

Social media platforms, news-aggregators and even podcasts would all be subject to the regulator's new powers.

The ACMA has already been in consultation with social media giants during the bill's drafting.

Ms Rowland warned "social media platforms are on notice that they have an important role in this area".

She also stressed the regulator would not have the power to remove individual pieces of content and made clear the new powers would not apply to professional news content.

Public consultations commenced today and will close on August 6.

The Communications Legislation Amendment (Combating Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2023 is now in the public consultation stage.

[fluorescence]

Australia has decided that it isn't totalitarian enough and is moving to lock down the internet to finally achieve freedom from dissenting speech. Once this is achieved utopia will undoubtedly follow. Some examples of what will be illegal misinformation according to the Australian government:

Type of harm	Example of serious harm
Hatred against a group in Australian society on the basis of ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion or physical or mental disability	Misinformation about a group of Australians inciting other persons to commit hate crimes against that group
Disruption of public order or society in Australia	Misinformation that encouraged or caused people to vandalise critical communications infrastructure
Harm to the integrity of Australian democratic processes or of Commonwealth, State, Territory or local government institutions	Misinformation undermining the impartiality of an Australian electoral management body ahead of an election or a referendum
Harm to the health of Australians	Misinformation that caused people to ingest or inject bleach products to treat a viral infection
Harm to the Australian environment	Misinformation about water saving measures during a prolonged drought period in a major town or city
Economic or financial harm to Australians, the Australian economy or a sector of the Australian economy	Disinformation by a foreign actor targeting local producers in favour of imported goods

Most opposition political speech can be categorized as banned misinformation under one or more of these categories, and content platforms will be required to proactively scrub it from the internet before it has a chance to cause a serious harm. "Men aren't women", "the mandatory injection doesn't doesn't stop you getting covid", and "I'm just not sure about those government vote counters..." will all have to go. The government and government-approved MSM outlets (but not independent media outlets) will be exempt.

[rarestia]

We are approaching an inflection point written about throughout history.

[ProudDeplorable]

Our leaders here in the U.S. are looking at this as their next move. Australia just put the nail in their coffin.

[BobL]

...and the West claims that Russia is not free. Go figure!

[Reno89519]

I used to think that Australia was a democracy similar to ours but increasingly, it has become intolerant and government-driven rule over the people. Is this what we can look forward to in the US or has Australia strayed onto its own path? How long will Australians submit their government?

[grobdriver]

and made clear the new powers would not apply to professional news content

They are the primary culprits!

What B.S.!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The Australian citizens should likewise get to fine the government when it publishes “misinformation.”

[antidemoncrat]

Misinformation or disinformation is the new way the global government will control “free speech”.

[Texas resident]

Misinformation and disinformation became common buzzwords at the outset of the covid launch.

not a coincidence.

[butlerweave]

so the government will decide what misinformation is , the place where all the misinformation comes from

[butlerweave]

Probably a Klaus Schwab and his World Enslavement Forum’s idea

[grey_whiskers]

Stop gloating.

[BenLurkin]

[mewzilla]

Daryl…
@MatherDaryl

Either we win this one or we lose every one after this
6:23 AM · Jun 26, 2023
·

[fluorescence]

It’s interesting to ponder how much longer a country that used to be considered part of the “free world” can continue to be thought so when its citizens no longer have basic rights.
What gives a place like Australia the moral authority to say anything about what happens in Russia or China or Iran, let alone impose sanctions on them? How far do they have to go before they start being grouped with the countries that share their values, rather than with the liberal democracies that they no longer resemble?

[BobL]

The thing is, you vote in liberals and you’re getting Communists in drag - they know they cannot violently overthrow the system, so they take on the role of being the nice, caring, people...until they get the power they crave. The US is nearly that bad, but at least we have Trump around still - otherwise the same fate, in fact worse, due to the racial polarization that these same liberals created...in order to help them secure power.

[DaBroasta]

I remember back in the late 70s and early 80s lots of freedom loving folks were contemplating moving to Australia. How things have changed.

[Vaduz]

The Australian Communications and Media Authority fails to go after the masters of misinformation the media it’s how to keep propaganda in control of things.

See America

[Hot Tabasco]

And then there is this:

the new powers would not apply to professional news content.

In other words, the govt. propagandists are free to spread the govt. lies....

[iamgalt]

“Misinformation that caused people to ingest or inject bleach products to treat a viral infection“

Gee l wonder where that one came from