Editorial: Tech giants must act now on terror

Tech giants are threatening Australia’s national security, and it’s about time they did something meaningful about it, writes the editor.

Tech giants are threatening Australia’s national security. And it’s about time they did something meaningful about it.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia’s terror threat
level had been raised from “possible” to “probable” for the first time in a decade.

Worryingly the decision, taken after advice from security agency ASIO, is not based on a single escalating source of threats, but because “the security environment is more volatile and more unpredictable”.

The last time ASIO raised the terror threat to “probable”, it was responding to then very clear threats posed by ISIS, which was actively trying to recruit would-be terrorists in Australia.

This time, the danger is far less specific, but as a result even more dangerous. This time, the growing threat comes from, “deteriorating social cohesion”, fanned by the promotion of vile and violent ideas on social media.

As Mr Albanese said yesterday, “we know that social media is playing a role in this,” adding that it “pushes people towards more extremes and reinforces views”.

Social media giants bring that blame on themselves with their reluctance to do anything substantial that might threaten their “all profit, no responsibility” business model.

It’s appalling that children’s lives are being ruined by online sextortion or that young thugs are being allowed to make social media posts of their exploits.

But so too is the potential for young people, and it is so often the young who are targeted by the ideological zealots and the conspiracy theorists, who feel the need to engage in public violence after falling down some toxic online rabbit hole.

Social media giants continually claim they’re doing their best to moderate content on their platforms. And yes, the online world is so vast and chaotic it’s a challenging task.

But how hard are they trying?

In April, the federal government had to order social media giants to take down violent footage and false-news posts and threaten them with multimillion-dollar fines in the wake of the
Westfield Bondi Junction knife attacks and the stabbing of a Sydney church leader.

Social media company X’s owner Elon Musk responded by successfully taking the matter to court on freedom of speech grounds.

We’re all for free speech. It’s our lifeblood. But this wasn’t about free speech. It was about protecting a profitable business model, which thrives on publishing provocative and outrageous and often blatantly and dangerously wrong material because that’s what gets clicks.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess, who stood by Mr Albanese’s side at yesterday’s announcement upgrading Australia’s terror
threat level, has taken earlier swipes at the social media companies for not doing enough to curb rising online extremism.

He used a speech to the National Press Club in April to urge the tech giants to work with intelligence agencies to crack down on the spread of terrorist content through encrypted messages.

The very fact that he had to publicly call them out highlights just how indifferent they are to the common good.

DOLPHINS DID US PROUD IN THE POOL

It’s all very well for our American friends to gloat about their swimmers finally getting ahead of the Australian medal tally in the Pool at the Paris Games – albeit on the last day of competition.

But any fair-minded person will realise that the Dolphins’ efforts in the pool at these Olympics, and others before them, have been nothing short of extraordinary.

The US has a population of
342 million. Australia’s is approaching 27 million. A quick reckoning means we are almost 13 times smaller.

And yet, the 2024 Aussie swimming team was leading the medal tally until the final day of competition on Monday – and boy, did they want to knock America off the perch like we did at the Melbourne Games back in 1956.

But it wasn’t to be.

In the final wash-up, America finished with eight gold medals to Australia’s seven. We bagged eight silver and three bronze; the US 13 silver and seven bronze.

Our athletes, and their incredibly supportive families, should be praised for the sacrifices and commitments they’ve made in the unforgiving world of elite sport.

These young people have been training for years and enduring immense pressure.

They performed brilliantly on the biggest stage, and we can’t wait to welcome them home.

And we can’t wait for Brisbane 2032, when they get the home pool advantage and the home pool cheering them on.

Maybe then we can show the Yanks who rules the pool.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here