Australia mulls crackdown on social media disinformation

By Tayyaba Nisar Khan

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Australian government said it will propose a new law allowing authorities to crack down on social media giants over misinformation and disinformation.

​​​​​​​If passed by the parliament, the law would allow the federal government to launch a crackdown on disinformation and also impose penalties on tech giants such as X and Meta for spreading fake news on their platforms, SBS News reported.

It would empower the government to demand the tech companies to hand over their records.

Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said 75% of Australians are worried about the harmful impacts of fake news.

Rowland said: “Digital platforms can also serve as a vehicle for the spread of misleading or false information that is seriously harmful to Australians.”