Australia’s House Passes Misinformation Bill, Opposition Says It ‘Belongs in a Dictatorship’

Australia’s lower house of Parliament has passed controversial legislation to combat misinformation and disinformation online.
Debate in the House of Representatives started on U.S. election day, and continued on Nov. 7 as the parliament enters its final weeks before Christmas.
The proposed law gives Australia’s media watchdog the power to fine social media companies for online content that is verifiably false, misleading, deceptive, or causes serious harm.
Stevens fears it could be used to silence political opponents before the next election.
Stevens argued the legislation belongs in a “dictatorship,” describing it as the worst he had ever seen in his six years in Parliament.
“‘Misinformation’ and ‘disinformation’ are the sorts of labels you expect to read about in fictitious novels about big government controlling the citizenry,” he added.
“That is deeply concerning, even if the High Court strikes this sort of legislation down.”
Meanwhile, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Dan Tehan voiced concerns about the unequal treatment, questioning why mainstream media would be exempt from the label of “misinformation” while independent or alternative voices would be impacted.
“If something appears in professional news content, effectively mainstream media, it cannot be misinformation. But, if the same view or a contrary view were put outside of professional news content, it could be misinformation,” he said.
Rowland added that scrutiny of the Bill is ongoing, noting that these amendments are crucial for holding digital platforms accountable.
“These amendments will keep Australians safe online, because keeping Australians safe is the first duty of all of us in this place,” she said.
Labor MP Graham Perrett echoed these sentiments, highlighting that the reforms aim to protect Australians from the scourges of misinformation while respecting freedom of expression.
He said the legislation would empower the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to hold digital platforms accountable for spreading false or misleading information.
“I’ve said before that the Labor government takes the job of protecting Australians very seriously, and this legislation is another piece of that puzzle,” he said.
Perrett also explained the ACMA would be able to increase transparency about the measures digital platforms have in place and assess their systems and processes.
“This does not mean that digital platforms will subsequently be censoring a wide range of content shared by Australians,” he said.
“The framework is proportionate and graduated and does not restrict freedom of expression.
“Importantly it will be the digital platforms which carry the responsibility for the information they publish and promote.”
The legislation must now be considered in the Senate before it can become law.