The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is getting stronger regulatory powers from the federal government to fight off the growing spread of digital misinformation and disinformation.
It’s been announced that ACMA will be receiving information-gathering and record-keeping powers as part of the government’s effort to create transparency around major platforms’ efforts to combat misinformation.
The new powers will also create an enforceable industry code that will replace the voluntary code platforms have signed up to.
Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said ACMA’s new powers would be similar to those it already had to regulate telecommunications and broadcasting services.
“It is a co-regulatory structure that is well established in Australia and has served consumers well … the government considers its high time we had a similar system applying in the online space,” she said.
“The key here always is about keeping Australians safe and we know unfortunately misinformation has the potential to cause great harms, including harms to social order and threats to our democracy.”
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The focus for the new powers won’t be on individual posters but on systemic issues across platforms, as tech giants such as Twitter and Facebook need more than a voluntary code to keep Australians safe.
“The technologies employed by the digital platforms are varied,” Minister Rowland said, highlighting that the technologies often include AI.
“It’s time we empower the regulator to ensure the platforms do what they say they’re going to do under this code.”
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Australia’s Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI), whose members include Google, Meta, Twitter and TikTok, “broadly welcomed” the greater oversight powers being given to the ACMA.
“These powers would enable the ACMA to have a longer-term mandate to oversee The Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation, which DIGI developed and administered, DIGI Managing Director Sunita Bose said in a statement.
“DIGI is committed to driving improvements in the management of misinformation and disinformation in Australia, demonstrated through our track record of work with signatory companies to develop and strengthen the industry code.”
With AAP