Michelle Rowland
A proposed bill to fine digital platforms millions of dollars if they allow harmful misinformation and disinformation online has been shelved.
Communications minister Michelle Rowland said it is clear there is no pathway to legislate the proposal through the Senate.
"The government will not proceed with the Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024," the statement released by the minister's office said.
"The government invites all Parliamentarians to work with us on other proposals to strengthen democratic institutions and keep Australians safe online, while safeguarding values like freedom of expression."
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) would have been the regulating body, according to draft legislation, with the framework focusing on systemic issues which pose a risk of harm on digital platforms.
It did not empower the ACMA to determine what is true or false or to remove individual content or posts and the code and standard-making powers would not have applied to professional news content or authorised electoral content.
Fines of up to $6.88 million or 5% of global turnover could have been imposed.
Separately to the Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill, the Albanese government recently announced it will develop a Digital Duty of Care regulatory model to "keep users safe and help prevent online harms", legislating online platforms to be responsible for enduring categories of harm.
This will include harms to young people, harms to mental wellbeing, the instruction and promotion of harmful practices, and other illegal content, conduct and activity.
The model was birthed out of a yet-to-be released independent review of the Online Safety Act, undertaken by Delia Rickard, the former deputy chair of competition watchdog the ACCC.
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