New laws in Australia would allow the country’s media watchdog to force Big Tech to turn over data on how they deal with misinformation.
As Reuters reported Monday (March 21), the laws also let the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) enforce an internet industry code on platforms that don’t cooperate, part of a worldwide effort to curb the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation online.
The laws are in response to an investigation by the authority that found that 80% of adults in Australia had encountered COVID misinformation, and 76% want online platforms to do make more of an effort at dealing with false or misleading content.
“Digital platforms must take responsibility for what is on their sites and take action when harmful or misleading content appears,” Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said in a statement.
The ACMA said Australians were most likely to come across information on Twitter and Facebook. The authority added that false narratives usually began with “highly emotive and engaging posts within small online conspiracy groups” and were “amplified by international influencers, local public figures and by coverage in the media.”
In addition, the ACMA said that disinformation – false information that’s intentionally spread to spark discord or influence politics – continues to target people in Australia. Between 2019 and 2020, Facebook removed four disinformation campaigns in the country.
The ACMA said conspiracy groups have urged users to flock to smaller, less-moderated platforms like Telegram. If those platforms reject industry content standards, the authority said, “they may present a higher risk to the Australian community.”
Read more: Google, Meta Step Up Efforts To Combat Russia’s Misinformation Campaign
The new laws come as legislators and tech companies look for even tougher measures to combat disinformation in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Facebook parent company Meta announced it would ban the Russian state media’s ability to run ads and monetize them on its platform, leading the Russian government to “partially restrict” Facebook access in the country.
Google and YouTube took a page from Meta and also paused Google monetization of Russian state-funded media on its platforms. And YouTube said it would temporarily limit the ability of several Russian channels — including state-sponsored RT — to monetize their content.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More