How Australia's federal misinformation bill might impede freedom of speech
Proposed Australian legislation aims to combat misinformation and disinformation on digital platforms like Google, Facebook, and TikTok by enforcing transparency in their policies and actions. If U.S. legislation, as proposed by Donald Trump, limits digital platforms’ abilities to restrict lawful speech, enforcing the Australian bill could face international challenges. Pixabay photo via pexels
The Conversation
Australia’s federal government’s proposed legislation on misinformation and disinformation has passed the House of Representatives, but faces a rocky time in the Senate. Opponents have dubbed it the MAD Bill, and it has certainly made some of them mad. Ironically, there is a great deal of misinformation circulating about the bill itself.
Some believe it gives the Commonwealth government power to censor them and prosecute them for what they say – but it does not.
What does the bill do?
The bill is directed at digital platforms such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok. It requires them to be transparent, by publishing their policies, risk assessments and complaints mechanisms for dealing with “misinformation” (which is false, misleading or deceptive content) and “disinformation” (which is misinformation that is intended to deceive or involves “inauthentic behaviour” by bots).
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