Communications Minister says Facebook needs to be held to account over misinformation, defamation

Australia’s Communications Minister has become the latest politician to call for social media giant Facebook to be held to greater account over trolling.

The federal Communications Minister says social media giants have been getting away with “not taking any responsibility” for content posted on their sites for “too long”, and will seek to hold them to greater account.

Appearing on Insiders on ABC on Sunday, and on the back of a call by Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce for a social media crackdown, Paul Fletcher said Facebook should be held to greater account.

When asked if he agreed with the Prime Minister that Facebook should be treated as a “publisher”, which would mean they are treated like a newspaper or television station and held liable for what is shared on their website, Mr Fletcher ummed-and-aahed before eventually agreeing.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said the government was considering a range of options in how to hold social media company’s to a higher standard. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“That is one of the options that’s under consideration, amongst others could be – ‘what is their responsibility to support a private litigant who brings action?’,” Mr Fletcher said.

“In a whole range of ways, we are cracking down on this idea that what is posted online can be posted with impunity.

“We need to take a stronger position on the platforms. For a long time, they’ve been getting away with not taking any responsibility in relation to content posted on their sites.”

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has taken aim at Facebook after his daughter became the centre of rumours this week. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Renewed conversation about online trolls and the role of the websites has been brought back into the spotlight this week after Mr Joyce’s daughter was the subject of trolling, with “completely and utter fictitious rumours” she was in a relationship with the former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro emerged.

Mr Joyce said the allegations were “total and utter rubbish” and were what sparked his call for the ability to fine social media companies.

“You can’t say that ‘my platform is a vessel of free speech’, then the people who speak on that vessel don’t give their names, they don’t identify who they are and you therefore allow people to stand on that platform and throw bricks at motorists,” Mr Joyce told Radio National.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he believes Facebook should be treated as a publisher if they’re going to allow trolling. Picture: Gary Ramage / NCA NewsWire

Prime Minister Scott Morrison backed Mr Joyce, saying social media had become a “coward’s palace”.

“People can go on there, not say who they are, destroy people’s lives, and say the most foul and offensive things to people, and do so with impunity,” he said.

“Now that’s not a free country where that happens. That’s not right. They should have to identify who they are, and … the companies, if they’re not going to say who they are, well, they’re not a platform anymore, they’re a publisher.”

Mr Fletcher said Facebook’s presence “certainly raises issues of concern to all governments”.

Last month the High Court ruled that individuals and companies were liable for defamatory comments, rather than the poster or Facebook themselves.

It comes as the High Court ruled in September that media outlets can be sued for defamatory comments made by Facebook users on articles shared to the outlet’s page.

In the United States a congressional inquiry is underway that has heard from a Facebook whistleblower.

Frances Haugen, a former data scientist, told the hearing the company was dishonest about efforts to counter misinformation.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has denied the allegation.

Originally published as Communications Minister says Facebook needs to be held to account over misinformation, defamation