Australian Communications Legislation Amendment Bill risks freedom of speech
The Australian House of Representatives voted to approve the bill on the 7th November. The Australian Christian Lobby has criticised the law, referring to it as "Orwellian" and "an unmatched threat to freedom of speech in Australia."
The Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 is supposed to protect users of technology from fake and destructive information. It obliges digital communication outlet providers to deliver verifiable news only. Based on a recent survey, over 75% of Australians express concerns over online misinformation, especially on social media platforms.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights agrees that the legislation supports numerous human rights, as described in the Universal Declaration. On the other hand, the Committee found some issues with respect to legal rights, freedom of expression and privacy. The bill proposes to give more power to the Australian Communications and Media Authority when it comes to approving standards and making rules. They may even request the disclosure of personal information.
Michelle Pearse, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Christian Lobby, voiced her dissatisfaction, emphasizing that the bill may impose a threat on freedom of speech: “The proposed legislation would allow the government of the day to impose their subjective view of ‘truth’ onto public discourse and effectively silence dissenting voices. The Department’s own Impact Analysis states the Bill would stop the spread of information that might reverse ‘the rights of women and LGBTQI+ people,’ suggesting it may well silence pro-life views and views that oppose trans ideology. By granting Australian Communications and Media Authority the ability to arbitrarily determine what is ‘false, misleading, or deceptive’ and what is ‘reasonably likely to cause or contribute to harm,’ this Bill gives the Government unprecedented control over the media narrative on contentious and disputed topics. This is especially concerning for Christians and Australians who disagree with radical ideologies being pushed by influential fringe groups. We have already seen the E-Commissioner forcibly remove posts on X (formerly known as Twitter), which criticize radical gender ideology.”
Source: https://www.christiantoday.com
