What is it with Labor governments and Orwellian censorship? Last time, it was Julia Gillard trying to set up a government censor for mainstream media. This time, it’s Anthony Albanese, trying to do the same for social media. Unsurprisingly, both Gillard and Albanese hail from Labor’s Socialist Left (i.e. communist) faction. As former deputy PM John Anderson told Douglas Murray, in the end, a communist will behave as communists behave.
As it happens, communists think Albanese’s “misinformation” laws are a great idea — Chinese-run TikTok has praised the move.
But when even the Zuck is saying, “Whoa, hold up, there,” you know you’ve gone too far with the Orwellian stuff.
Labor’s proposed crackdown on misinformation and disinformation on the internet is “inherently wrong” and a “dangerous piece of legislation” that could chill freedom of speech in Australia, social media giants and senior lawyers warn.
The world’s biggest social media company Meta – the owner of Facebook and Instagram – told MPs on Tuesday the Albanese government’s proposed laws on misinformation and disinformation “could be abused” and inadvertently harm free and legitimate expression if they were to be passed by parliament.
The US-based tech giant’s Australian head of public policy Josh Machin told a select committee that Meta was concerned about the additional powers the legislation would give to the nation’s media watchdog.
Yes, Meta. That Meta. The one owned by Mark Zuckerberg, said that. This is the equivalent of a Spanish Inquisitor telling you to go easy with the rack, there, son.
And it’s not just the Zuck’s minions.
Twitter head of global government affairs Nick Pickles said the pendulum was swinging towards greater censorship across the globe, with many countries implementing broad laws with high financial and criminal penalties “that will have a chilling effect on free speech”.
Even the bloodsucking lawyers are against it.
Top lawyers, including former NSW Supreme Court judge and anti-corruption advocate Anthony Whealy, told The Australian it would be “easy to politicise the project and equally damaging to democracy”.
“The usual definitions of truth and untruth are very difficult to apply and it’s all very subjective,” he said. “We need to proceed with extreme caution.”
Labor is now facing a war on all fronts if it continues to pursue its legislation that will give the Australian Communications and Media Authority elevated powers to fine social media giants millions of dollars for misinformation and content it deems “harmful”, with Meta, Twitter and lawyers joining Coalition MPs in voicing strong concerns about the proposal.
The Australian
In fact, this disgraceful legislation is so on the nose that even the would-be Grand Inquisitors can see it.
Australian Communications and Media Authority chair Nerida O’Loughlin has conceded concerns raised by social media giants, lawyers and the Coalition about Labor’s misinformation laws are “valid concerns”.
The Australian
Is there anyone besides the Chinese Communist Party and its Australian affiliate based in Sussex Street who thinks this dog of a bill is a good idea?