Australia: ambitious anti-disinformation bill dropped, RSF calls for regulation of online platforms
Following the Australian government’s decision to abandon its proposed law aimed at tackling misinformation and disinformation spread on digital platforms, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on Australian political forces to work together to develop appropriate legislation to address the growing problem. As platforms such as X present new, serious challenges to democracy and access to journalistic information, there is no time for democratic governments to put the brakes on regulating big tech.
On 24 November, Australia’s Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, announced the withdrawal of the bill on disinformation and misinformation due to a lack of support in the Senate. The bill faced criticism from Australian opposition parties which saw some aspects of the bill as a potential threat to freedom of expression and a pathway to censorship.
The bill sought to oblige digital platforms to manage misinformation and disinformation risk, and enhance transparency in their handling of such content. It proposed a range of penalties, including fines on online platforms of up to 5% of their global revenue if they failed to curb the dissemination of false information.
“Abandoning legislation that curbs the proliferation of false and misleading content — especially as the Australian federal election looms — is a regrettable decision. The fight against disinformation and misinformation on online platforms is a crucial issue that must transcend political divides. We call for this project to be revived with appropriate measures to curb misinformation and disinformation while guaranteeing press freedom and access to. Democracies like Australia must take responsibility by regulating platforms to ensure they serve the public’s right to information and uphold press freedom.”
RSF has issued the following recommendations to complement the initial draft bill:
- Require online platforms to amplify trusted sources of information: In line with the role it plays in structuring the public arena, platforms must be required to amplify reliable journalistic sources identified on the basis of widely recognised standards, such as the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) or other robust certification programmes. This obligation must be accompanied by clear procedures ensuring that media and journalists are able to publish content in the public interest without fearing reprisals.
- Place a neutrality requirement on platforms: with regard to politics, ideology and religion. The flow of information on platforms shapes public debate. These digital arenas should not be allowed to function as mere tools to serve their owners’ questionable interests.
- Guarantee the origin of information: by reforming the account verification system on the basis of proof of identity, and ceasing to correlate paid-for verified accounts with an automatic increase in visibility. Confusing the verification of certified accounts with paid accounts when boosting content’s visibility via an algorithm is hazardous to the integrity of online information.
- Separate the roles of influencers and journalists: by establishing a clear distinction between influential users and professional journalists so that the public can easily identify the origin of information. Users must clearly know who is posting content.
- Combat malicious deepfakes: by encouraging digital platforms to adopt technical standards guaranteeing the origin and traceability of audiovisual content — not only to flag synthetic content but also to highlight content produced by journalists, such as pictures and videos. This will help users who seek to be informed about general interest topics to locate authentic media outlets.
- Establish criminal penalties for authors and disseminators of deepfakes who intend to deceive or manipulate audiences. Deepfakes are one of the most dangerous forms of online attacks, especially when they target journalists. A specific offence should be established, taking into account the different aspects of the threat and penalising both the creators and the disseminators of deepfakes.
The current practices of digital platforms are creating an environment where news media are increasingly sidelined. Platforms exploit their power to prioritise their economic or ideological interests, further enabling the spread of disinformation. In response to this trend — and after being targeted by a disinformation campaign — RSF pressed charges against X (formerly Twitter) in November 2024 for spreading false information and facilitating identity theft.
