Tech giants expand Australian misinformation measures week after government criticism

The Australian industry group advocating for tech giants, including Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Twitter, has expanded its voluntary code for addressing misinformation online after the Australian and US government made fresh calls last week for tougher social media regulation.

The group, Digital Industry Group Inc (DiGi), said the expansion entails creating a new independent committee to police the voluntary code for misinformation and disinformation.

These independent members will work with signatories, through an administration sub-committee, to oversee the various actions taken by signatories to meet their obligations under the code, DiGi said.

The updated voluntary code will also see DiGi create a new complaints portal. The new portal will accept complaints from the Australian public where they believe a signatory has breached the code’s commitments.

Signatories of the voluntary code are Apple, Adobe, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Redbubble, TikTok, and Twitter.

DiGi created the code in February, which consists of signatories committing to releasing an annual transparency report about their efforts to address disinformation and misinformation, and providing a way for users to report content with disinformation and misinformation.

The code also calls for signatories to be cognisant of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights when developing proportionate responses to disinformation and misinformation.

Australian Communications and Media Authority chair Nerida O’Loughlin said in a statement that the updated voluntary code mechanisms were “an important step” in reducing online misinformation and disinformation.

O’Loughlin did note, however, that she was still concerned about the voluntary and opt-in nature of the code.

“We will be watching how this works in practice and whether expanding the committee’s remit will be necessary,” she said.

Reset Australia, a democracy advocate, took a firmer position, with its director of tech policy Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran labelling the code as “laughable” due to its voluntary and opt-in nature.

“The DiGi code is voluntary and opt-in, with no enforcement and no penalties. Clearly, self regulation does not work,” she said.

“DiGi’s code is not much more than a PR stunt given the negative PR surrounding Facebook in recent weeks.”

The changes come as the Australian and US government have criticised the efforts of social media platforms to address misinformation and disinformation, with a Facebook whisteblower last week accusing the social network of intentionally hiding vital information from the public for profit.

During a testimony to the Senate, the whisteblower Frances Haugen labelled the company as “morally bankrupt” and that “the choices being made inside of Facebook” were “disastrous for our children, our privacy, and our democracy”.

Days later, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison criticised tech giants for the conduct that occurs on their platforms, stating that social media platforms like Facebook have become a “coward’s palace” for trolls.

“The companies that [do not] say who they are, well, they’re not a platform anymore. They’re a publisher, and you know what the implications of that means in terms of those issues. So people should be responsible for what they say in a country that believes in free speech.” Morrison said at a press conference.

Meanwhile, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities, and the Arts Paul Fletcher said last Wednesday that there was “no question that misinformation or disinformation is a problem on social media”.

Fletcher said the government would keep the voluntary code “under close scrutiny” and did not rule out the possibility of further regulation for social media platforms.  

“If we don’t think the voluntary code is sufficient then we will certainly consider more direct regulatory action,” he said.

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