Australia Abandons Proposal for ‘Disinformation’ Fines

Australia drops its controversial plan to impose fines for online disinformation, citing challenges in balancing regulation with free speech.

The Australian government has abandoned its proposal to impose fines on social media platforms that do not curb the dissemination of “seriously harmful misinformation and disinformation” online. The ruling Labor Party conceded that its Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill lacked sufficient support to pass in parliament.

In a statement released on Sunday, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland indicated that “after public statements and discussions with Senators, it has become evident that this proposal cannot be passed in the Senate.” She criticized opponents of the bill for prioritizing “partisanship over any effort to address the public interest.” As reported by Sky News, both the conservative Liberal-National coalition and Australian Greens, along with several crossbench senators, declined to support the proposed legislation. The opposition argued that the bill was an attempt to suppress free speech.

Rowland encouraged parties and lawmakers to back additional government initiatives designed to “strengthen democratic institutions and keep Australians safe online.” The official further stated that “80% of Australians want action” against the dangers posed by harmful misinformation and disinformation, which threaten safety, election integrity, democracy, and national security.

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The communications minister stated that the defeated bill “was intended to introduce an unparalleled degree of transparency, ensuring major tech companies are accountable for their methods and procedures in curbing and reducing harmful misinformation and disinformation online.” The legislation aimed specifically at addressing issues such as bots, fake accounts, deep fakes, advertising, and monetization.

The proposed bill outlined penalties of up to 5% of a social media platform’s global revenue for non-compliance. According to the legislation, companies would be obligated by Australian authorities to submit codes of conduct, and if a social media platform failed to provide them, the regulator could impose its own standards.

Recently, the Australian government has launched a regulatory effort to control foreign-based tech giants.

On Thursday, Rowland proposed an amendment to the Online Safety Act in parliament that would require social media companies to implement appropriate measures for effective age-verification. If approved, the legislation would prohibit children under 16 from accessing social media platforms and impose fines of up to AU$50 million (US$32.5 million) on any company found violating this rule.