The new bill, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), will radically expand the powers of the government to crack down on social platforms and citizens accused of ill-defined misinformation and disinformation.
We previously discussed how Democratic leaders like Hillary Clinton called on foreign countries to pass censorship laws to prevent Elon Musk from restoring free speech protections on Twitter. The EU responded aggressively to warn Musk not to allow greater free speech or he will face crippling fines and even potential criminal enforcement.
Like the DSA, the ACMA seeks to force social media companies to censor citizens in other nations like the United States. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to 5% of their global revenue.
The result will likely target X owner Elon Musk who has resisted demands for censorship and voiced his oppositon of the proposal.
Australian Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland is an enthusiastic champion of censorship. She insisted:
“Misinformation and disinformation pose a serious threat to the safety and wellbeing of Australians, as well as to our democracy, society and economy. Doing nothing and allowing this problem to fester is not an option.”
I have previously called upon Congress to pass a Digital Freedom Act to respond to the threats from the EU to force the censorship of Americans or jail executives like Musk. The move in Australia only magnifies the need for such legislation.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage” (Simon & Schuster).