Media Association Warns Misinformation Bill Could Make Digital Platforms the ‘Arbiters of Truth’
The Digital Industry Group also emphasized that the bill would place unnecessary regulatory burdens on low-risk and small businesses.
A Senate Committee has been informed that the proposed misinformation bill by the Labor government could transform social media platforms into “arbiters of truth” while also overburdening small businesses.
Jennifer Duxbury, a director at the Digital Industry Group (DIG), which is a not-for-profit industry body representing major digital platforms, was questioned about the industry’s stance on the legislation.
Duxbury acknowledged the challenges of legislating against misinformation and disinformation but stated that the current bill fails to strike a balance between protecting the community from harm and preserving the right to freely discuss public matters.
She expressed concerns that the definitions of misinformation in the bill are too broad, putting digital platforms in the position of being the sole determiners of truth online.
Under the bill, social media platforms are mandated to address misinformation and disinformation on their platforms or face penalties.
Misinformation is described as content that is reasonably false or misleading to Australian online users and could potentially cause serious harm to various groups and entities.
Similarly, disinformation is content that is intentionally deceptive and harmful.
Duxbury highlighted that the bill would push social media companies to take a cautious approach to the information shared on their platforms due to the broad scope of the legislation and the severe penalties for violations.
She also identified that the bill could burden many low-risk businesses, including small enterprises, with mandatory requirements like media literacy plans.
Duxbury suggested that the bill should focus primarily on tackling disinformation rather than misinformation. She proposed that the powers granted to the communications regulator should be concentrated on addressing disinformation campaigns.
She also noted that identifying disinformation was more objective than identifying misinformation, as there are clear indicators of coordinated deceitful activities online.
Moreover, Duxbury recommended that any provisions targeting misinformation should be limited to services posing a high risk of spreading harmful misinformation.
