The Australian government has withdrawn a bill that would have fined online platforms up to 5 percent of their global revenue if they failed to stop the spread of false information.
The bill, which was supported by the Labor government, would have allowed the Australian Communications and Media Authority to create enforceable rules about lying on digital platforms.
In a statement, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the bill would “reveal unprecedented transparency, hold big tech to account for their security systems and processes and reduce the spread of harmful false information and disinformation online.”
However, he said “based on public statements and discussions with Senators, it is clear that there is no way to pass this proposal in the Senate.”
When an updated version of the bill was introduced in September, Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), denounced it with one word: “Fascists.”
Shadow Communications Minister, David Coleman, has been strongly opposed to the bill, saying it will encourage platforms to suppress free speech to avoid fines. With the bill seemingly dead, Coleman wrote that it was a “shocking attack on free speech that betrayed our democracy” and called on the prime minister to “repeal any future version of this legislation.”
Rowland’s statement, on the other hand, calls for Parliament’s support for “other proposals to strengthen democratic institutions and keep Australians safe online,” including legislation targeting outright lies, enforcement of “truth in electoral political advertising,” and AI legislation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also pursuing a plan to ban social media for children under 16.
