Scott Morrison seeks global rules for tech giants

Scott Morrison will call on G20 leaders to establish a clear ‘set of principles’ in leading a global push against tech giants allowing bullies, extremists and predators to weaponise their social media platforms.

Scott Morrison and Energy Minister Angus Taylor on their way to the G20 in Rome. Picture: Adam Taylor / PMO

Scott Morrison will call on G20 leaders to establish a clear “set of principles” in leading a global push against tech giants allowing bullies, extremists and predators to weaponise their social media and other digital platforms.

The Prime Minister arrived in Rome on Friday night ahead of a two-day summit, where he will meet with world leaders including Joko Widodo and Boris Johnson and outline the road out of the pandemic in a major G20 economic and health speech.

Mr Morrison, who will promote Australia’s role in delivering vaccines and economic support to help Indo-Pacific nations, said the world’s leading economies must come together to prevent harm against women and ­children.

Amid snubs of both the G20 and COP26 summits by Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, world leaders are expected to discuss rising tension fuelled by China and Russia, reforms of the World Trade Organisation and emerging cyber and terror security threats.

Mr Morrison will raise the ­preparedness of global health systems in the event of future pandemics and stress the need for “greater transparency and enhanced surveillance” to prevent a repeat of Covid-19.

After leading global reforms through the G20 following the Christchurch terror attack, Mr Morrison said it was time for powerful levers to be pulled in making hugely profitable tech companies “accountable”.

He said “we need some common global principles on ­accountability and transparency for digital platforms”.

“The rules of the real world have to apply to the digital world. Free speech only works where people are accountable for what they say and publish. These are the important checks and balances on people’s individual liberties,” Mr Morrison said.

“Social media cannot shield cowards from destroying people’s lives, from bullying young people, from harassment and intimidation. We have come a long way and many countries are putting in place some of the basic building blocks of protection.

“On issues like terrorism and child exploitation, as well as take-down provisions, we are making progress and Australia is leading the way. We now need to join them up so these platforms can evolve to become safer by design.”

He said there must be “platform-as-publisher accountabilities” and an end to “shields of anonymity that allows bullies and perpetrators to prey on the vulnerable”.

“When there are common ­accountabilities and obligations that run across multiple jurisdictions, we will see digital platform companies truly invest in making the online world safer,” he said.

“A set of principles would help build global consensus of governments’ expectations of digital service providers. We will be looking to start the process of going down this path.”

In addition to meeting with Mr Widodo on the G20 sidelines, where the pair will discuss ­Jakarta’s response to Australia’s AUKUS nuclear submarine pact, Mr Morrison on Saturday will hold talks with Korean President Moon Jae-in, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Mr Morrison is to meet OECD secretary-general Mathias Cormann either in Rome or Glasgow but is unlikely to hold formal discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron. An “ice breaker” phone call on Thursday night was the first contact ­between Mr Macron and Mr Morrison since the federal government dumped a $90bn submarines contract with French company Naval last month.

Australian officials don’t ­expect any major movement in relations with France until after the April presidential election.

US President Joe Biden, who arrived in Italy on Friday, was scheduled to meet with Pope Francis and Mr Macron on the sidelines of the G20 summit. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Mr Biden’s meeting with Mr Macron would smooth over tensions over the AUKUS deal.