Social media platforms to face fresh crackdown on misinformation

There’s a fresh push to crack down on harmful and misleading content on social media, but it comes with a catch.

Australia’s media watchdog will be given new powers to crack down on harmful and misleading content on social media.

If re-elected, the Morrison government will introduce new laws to parliament that would provide the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) with more regulatory power to counter misinformation and disinformation online.

Under the proposal, the ACMA would be able to enforce industry codes and hold tech giants to account to remove harmful or misleading information online should voluntary efforts fail.

The Morrison government will legislate new powers for the media watchdog if re-elected. Picture: Denis Charlet / AFP

It would also make it easier to assess the effectiveness of self-regulation and help the government decide whether a compulsory code of practice needs to be introduced.

Consultation on the scope of the authority‘s new powers will begin in the coming weeks.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said the new laws would complement the Online Safety Act, which came into force earlier this year.

“Digital platforms must take responsibility for what is on their sites and take action when harmful or misleading content appears,” he said.

“This is our government‘s clear expectation, and just as we have backed that expectation with action in recently passing the new online safety act, we are taking action when it comes to disinformation and misinformation.”

A task force comprised of private sector and government stakeholders will be formed to advise on emerging issues and best practice responses.

It comes after an ACMA report, which was handed to the government last June but made public on Monday, found 82 per cent of Australians had experienced misinformation about Covid-19 in the past 18 months.

WeChat was reported as having the second largest spread of Covid misinformation among Australian users. Picture: Richard A. Brooks / AFP

Facebook had the largest share of reported Covid-19 misinformation, with more than a third of all Australians identifying the social platform as the source of fake news.

WeChat was reported to have the second highest level of reported misinformation among its users.

According to the authority, adult gen Z respondents were more than three times more likely than baby boomers to rely on social media for news and information on Covid-19 as well as being three times more likely to be “highly misinformed”.

But older Australians were more likely to report that they did not know whether they had come across misinformation.

The report made five recommendations, which have been welcomed by the government.