A reliance on fact-checkers to decide what is false on social media could stifle attempts to crack down on harmful content, a senior legal expert has warned. Source: Canberra Times.Â
Governments are looking to crack down on artificial intelligence’s potential to spread mis- or disinformation with growing fears tools like deepfakes could be used to scam or even influence democratic processes.
Legal academics and senators raised serious doubts over Labor’s proposed misinformation and disinformation laws during a Senate committee hearing yesterday.
The Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, introduced revamped legislation in September after an initial bill was rejected over concerns it would hamper free speech.
The laws aim to clamp down on the spread of false or malicious content online by granting the media watchdog powers to fine tech giants who fail to deal with systemic misinformation on their platforms.
The legislation, which has been opposed by the Coalition and faces a logjam in the Senate, relies on tech companies to voluntarily submit to a code forcing them to be more transparent about how they deal with harmful content.
Constitutional law expert Anne Twomey said the idea of tougher reporting requirements for Meta and Instagram would be beneficial but she doubted it would work in practice.
Social media companies aren’t required to use fact-checkers to verify if a statement is or not under the current voluntary code, but they must have processes in place to deal with misinformation.
Professor Twomey raised concerns over a suggestion platforms employ fact-checkers on the basis their findings could easily be distorted depending on which experts they chose to consult with.
The Albanese Government made global headlines last week after it announced plans to ban social media for users aged 16 and under.
The Coalition has called for the social media age ban to be fast-tracked. However, it has staunchly opposed the misinformation bill, forcing the Government to rely on the support of the Greens and three independent senators to pass it through the upper house.
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Experts pick holes in Labor’s online misinformation push (By Eleanor Campbell, Canberra Times)
