Social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter may be made more responsible for defamatory material published on their platforms if measures being considered by the Australian government are implemented, Reuters reported Sunday (Oct. 10).
“We expect a stronger position from the platforms,” Communications Minister Paul Fletcher told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Sunday. “For a long time, they’ve been getting away with not taking any responsibility in relation to content posted on their sites.”
Days earlier, on Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that when defamatory comments by unidentified people are posted on their sites, social media platforms should be treated as publishers.
Fletcher said Sunday that fines are one measure being considered by the government, adding, “In a whole range of ways, we are cracking down on this idea that what is posted online can be posted with impunity.”
These comments follow a ruling by Australia’s highest court last month that publishers can be held liable for public comments on online platforms.
Related: Australia Laws Target Social Media Firms With Fines, Prison Over Streaming Content
Australia already holds social media platforms responsible for live streaming violent acts.
Under the terms of a law passed in 2019, firms can be hit with penalties of up to 10% of their bottom line, and company executives may face prison sentences if violent content is not removed in a timely manner.
Related: Website Liability Reform Worries Smaller Players
In the U.S., Congress is weighing changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields websites from most liability suits over posted content.
In response, several mid-sized Internet companies formed Internet Works, a coalition that works with Congress to promote the benefits of Section 230. These firms are concerned that losing the protections provided by Section 230 will open them up to lawsuits over user-posted content and will require them to cover the costs of increased monitoring of such content.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More