Australia Drops Plan to Fine Tech Giants for Misinformation Spread

Australia’s government has abandoned plans to fine internet platforms up to 5% of their global revenue for failing to curb misinformation online. The proposal, part of a broader regulatory push by the Australian government, was aimed at addressing the rising concern over the spread of harmful content on foreign-owned tech platforms. This decision comes ahead of a federal election, expected within the next year.

According to Reuters, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland stated on Sunday that after reviewing feedback from senators, it had become clear that there was insufficient support to pass the bill through the Senate. “Based on public statements and engagements with Senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the Senate,” Rowland said in a statement.

The bill, which would have held major tech companies accountable for their efforts to combat misinformation, was seen as a potential step towards greater transparency in the industry. Rowland emphasized that the legislation would have introduced an unprecedented level of scrutiny, requiring tech platforms to be more accountable for their systems and processes aimed at reducing the spread of misinformation.

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“Some four-fifths of Australians wanted the spread of misinformation addressed,” Rowland said, referencing public support for stronger action against disinformation. However, despite this backing, the bill faced strong opposition in Parliament. The Liberal-National coalition, along with the Australian Greens and crossbench senators, expressed their disapproval, according to Sky News.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticized the bill as a “half-baked option” in remarks broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corp. She argued that the proposed regulations were insufficient to tackle the scale of misinformation issues facing the nation.

The Australian government’s attempt to regulate misinformation is part of a broader global conversation on the power of big tech companies and their role in shaping public discourse. Industry group DIGI, which counts Meta among its members, had previously stated that the proposed legislation merely reinforced existing anti-misinformation codes.

With the government’s failure to push the bill through Parliament, it remains unclear what further steps will be taken to address the spread of harmful content on social media platforms in the coming months.

Source: Reuters