SYDNEY – The Australian government has abandoned a proposed bill that would have imposed fines on platforms for not doing enough to fight misinformation, the country’s Communications Minister announced on Sunday.
The mis- and disinformation bill would have put legal obligations on social media platforms to address false, misleading, or deceptive content, or content reasonably likely to cause serious harm, as well as equip the Australian Communications and Media Authority to regulate such content.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said that the bill was withdrawn after facing strong opposition in the Senate.
The proposed legislation was also opposed by a wide-ranging group of community groups, free speech organisations, and religious groups over concerns it would harm free speech, with stakeholders questioning how the definition of truth would be enforced.
“Based on public statements and engagements with senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the Senate,” Rowland said in a statement.
Elon Musk was one of the main opponents of the bill, accusing the Australian government of “fascism.”
Australia is a global leader in regulating social media.
Additionally, a bill to ban social media use for those under 16 was presented in the Australian Parliament on Thursday, with fines of over 51 million Australian dollars (30 million euros) for companies failing to adhere to the new rules.
