Musk calls Australian government 'fascists' over misinformation law
- In Reports
- 12:13 PM, Sep 13, 2024
- Myind Staff
Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, criticised Australia's centre-left government on Friday, calling them "fascists" in response to proposed legislation that would impose fines on social media companies for failing to prevent the spread of misinformation online.
On Thursday, Australia's Labour government introduced legislation in Parliament that could impose fines of up to 5% of global revenue on internet platforms for facilitating misinformation. This move is part of a broader global effort to regulate and control the influence of borderless tech giants.
The proposed law would mandate that tech platforms establish codes of conduct to prevent the spread of dangerous falsehoods, with these codes needing to be approved by a regulatory body. If a platform fails to comply, the regulator will impose its own standards and levy fines for non-compliance.
Musk, who views himself as a champion of free speech, responded to a post by an X user linking the Reuters story about the misinformation law with one word: "Fascists".
In a previous dispute with the Australian government, X challenged a cyber regulator's order to remove posts about the stabbing of a bishop in Sydney by going to court in April. This confrontation led Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to describe Elon Musk as an "arrogant billionaire."
Musk's recent criticism of the efforts to combat misinformation was met with backlash from government lawmakers. Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones labelled Musk's comment as "crackpot stuff."
"This is about sovereignty, and whether it's the Australian government or any other government around the world, we assert our right to pass laws which will keep Australians safe– safe from scammers, safe from criminals," Jones told ABC television.
“For the life of me, I can’t see how Elon Musk or anyone else, in the name of free speech, thinks it is OK to have social media platforms publishing scam content, which is robbing Australians of billions of dollars every year. Publishing deepfake material, publishing child pornography. Livestreaming murder scenes. I mean, is this what he thinks free speech is all about?” he furthered.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
He stated that social media platforms should not allow the publication of scam content, deepfake materials, or livestreams of violence under the guise of free speech.
Meanwhile, Australia’s federal aged care minister, Anika Wells, told ABC Radio she had “yet to meet [a fascist] in the government”.
It is important to note that Australia’s misinformation legislation would grant the country’s communication watchdog the authority to monitor and regulate content on digital platforms.
If self-regulation by these platforms is deemed ineffective, authorities could either approve an enforceable industry code of conduct or establish new standards for social media companies. This dispute is not the first instance of Elon Musk clashing with the Australian government over such issues.
In April, the eSafety Commissioner issued an order to X to remove graphic content after clips of Sydney bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel being stabbed circulated on the platform. At that time, Musk accused the Australian government of suppressing free speech.
Image source: Reuters
Comments