Proposed Australian laws could result in tech giants being fined billions of dollars for their failure to take action against disinformation, according to a watchdog. The proposed legislation entails the owners of podcasting services, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and Google being penalized up to five percent of their annual global turnover. This penalty is one of the highest proposed anywhere in the world. The Australian Communications and Media Authority, a government watchdog, will be given a range of powers to force organizations to prevent disinformation or misinformation from spreading and stop them from being monetized.
New Powers for the Australian Communications and Media Authority
If the legislation is approved, the ACMA would have a range of new powers to compel information from digital platforms, enforce mandatory industry codes, make industry standards, and register these codes. The watchdog, however, would not have the power to take down or sanction individual posts. Instead, it could punish platforms for their failure to monitor and combat intentionally “false, misleading and deceptive” content that could cause “serious harm.” The legislation is expected to echo legislation that will come into effect in the European Union, where tech giants could face fines as high as six percent of their annual turnover and outright bans on operating inside the bloc.
Regulating Digital Platforms in Australia
Australia has been at the forefront of regulating digital platforms, leading tech companies to make mostly unfulfilled threats to withdraw from the Australian market. The proposed bill aims to strengthen the current voluntary Australian Code of Practice on Misinformation and Disinformation launched in 2021, which has had limited impact. Adobe, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Redbubble, TikTok, and Twitter are signatories of the existing code. The proposed laws were unveiled on Sunday and come amid a surge of misinformation in Australia regarding a referendum on Indigenous rights later in the year. Australians will vote on whether the constitution should recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and whether an Indigenous consultative body should be established to weigh in on proposed legislation.
The Australian Electoral Commission noted an increase in misinformation and abuse online about the referendum process. Election commissioner Tom Rogers said on Thursday that the tone of online comments had become “aggressive.” The government argues that tackling disinformation is crucial to keeping Australians safe online and safeguarding the country’s democracy. Stakeholders have until August to provide their views on the legislation.
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