The Australian government won’t proceed with legislation that would have forced social media sites to crack down on misinformation on their platforms after failing to win enough cross-party support.
“Based on public statements and engagements with Senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the Senate,” Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said in a statement Sunday.
The Communications Legislation Amendment Bill, which aimed to combat harmful content on digital platforms, was criticised by the opposition as an attempt to suppress free speech.
The Labour government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is pushing ahead with plans to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, with firms required to enforce the new regulations or face potential fines.
Rowland urged all parliamentarians to work with the government on other proposals to keep Australians safe online while safeguarding values like freedom of expression.
“Mis and disinformation is an evolving threat and no single action is a perfect solution, but we must continue to improve safeguards to ensure digital platforms offer better protections for Australians,” she said.
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Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman said all supporters of free speech can celebrate that the misinformation bill “is now in the bin, where it belongs”.
The legislation allowed Rowland “to personally order misinformation investigations and misinformation hearings,” he said. “This would be expected in a dystopian novel — not the great democracy of Australia.”
