Big tech not above the law: Miller

Big tech companies are thumbing their noses at Australia’s laws, giving way to a “social media crisis”, News Corp Australasia boss Michael Miller has warned.

Big tech companies are thumbing their noses at Australia’s laws, giving way to a “social media crisis” which will cause untold social and economic damage to the nation in the next few decades, News Corp Australasia’s boss Michael Miller has warned.

In a speech to be delivered at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Mr Miller will highlight the extent to which global tech giants are effectively allowed to do as they please in Australia, in the absence of any effective checks and balances.

“These tech giants — especially social media networks such as Meta, TikTok and X — choose to operate outside our legal system,” Mr Miller will say.

“Companies wanting to do business here also have to meet our standards and sign up to our rules, laws and expectations.

“But the global tech monopolies that have significantly changed our lives and our nation choose not to meet those standards. They refuse to play by the rules the rest of us follow.

“How long will Australia allow them to operate as a protected species?

“We will be paying the social and economic cost of the social media crisis for decades.”

Mr Miller’s address will reference new research, commissioned by News Corp, that reveals how a majority of Australians believe social media networks’ power should be reined in.

“Australians overwhelmingly say social media should play by the same rules as the rest of us, with 83 per cent agreeing that the tech monopolies should be subject to Australian regulations and law,” Mr Miller will say.

Other key findings of the research, conducted by Dynata, provide an insight into how Australians blame social media networks for exacerbating societal harms, such as bullying and sexual harassment, with one in three Australians expressing negative feelings towards the online platforms.

Australian teens are spending more time online, and as such are more likely to have experienced negative issues on social media, according to the research.

Twelve per cent of Australian teenagers have been subjected to revenge porn (non-consensual sharing of intimate images), while 32 per cent have been sexually harassed or exposed to unwanted sexual content via social media platforms, and 38 per cent have viewed inappropriate or disturbing content, including hate speech, and extremist or graphic material.

Sixteen per cent of Australian teens have experienced physical threats or encouragement of violence.

Mr Miller’s comments will come as part of his National Press Club address on Wednesday. Picture: Liam Kidston

Overall, more than seven out of 10 Australians have experienced social harm on social media platforms.

Contrary to Meta’s claim earlier this year that fewer Australians are reading news on social media platforms, the opposite is in fact true, according to the survey.

“Social media plays an important role in keeping Australians informed, as the third most common source of news for respondents (used by 55 per cent),” the research shows.

“This is behind television (69 per cent) and mainstream print and digital news (65 per cent). One in five overall (21 per cent) say social media is their main source of news, which jumps to 40 per cent for Gen Z and 32 per cent for Millennials.

“The most popular platforms for consuming news content are Facebook (36 per cent of respondents), followed by Instagram (22 per cent), X/Twitter (13 per cent) and TikTok (11 per cent).

“Collectively, 48 per cent say they use a Meta brand to consume news content.”

On February 29 this year, when Meta announced plans to turn off Facebook News, it justified its decision by arguing that the number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the US had dropped by more than 80 per cent last year.

“We know that people don’t come to Facebook for news and political content – they come to connect with people,” Meta said in a statement.

The Dynata survey directly contradicts Meta’s claim that its users’ consumption of news has dropped.

News Corp’s head of research James Taylor said the survey highlighted Meta’s disregard for Australia’s media landscape, but also for the nation’s overall wellbeing.

“I think it shows that Australians are fed up with the lack of accountability that social media platforms have in our country and they recognise that while they might really enjoy using the platforms, there are some societal harms that are coming from them,” Mr Taylor said.