Over 30,000 Australians Back Petition to Halt Misinformation and Disinformation Bill

A woman uses her mobile phone to check Facebook and other mobile apps in Yangon, Myanmar, on Feb. 4, 2021. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Liberal Senator Alex Antic has delivered a petition with more than 30,000 signatures against the Misinformation and Disinformation bill to Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.

The bill, due to be debated in the Senate next weekend, would give the government the power to fine social media companies for spreading misinformation and disinformation online.

Accompanied by Michael Shellenberger, Chair of Politics, Censorship, and Free Speech at the University of Austin’s Centre for Bureaucratic Reform, Senator Antic expressed gratitude to those who supported the petition.

“Thank you to those who have signed this because it does make a difference, the people who have been contacting their MPs, talking to politicians about this,” he said in a video posted to X.

The Senator added, “We hope that it’s dead on arrival” to the Senate, before reflecting “We’ve still got some work to do.”

Shellenberger, who travelled to Canberra to meet with politicians and advocate for the defeat of the misinformation bill, described the legislation as a “totalitarian censorship bill.”

“...it is the duty of friends of Australia to bluntly warn that Albanese is pushing a censorship law that would not only end free speech for Australians but also be viewed as a hostile assault on the free Internet worldwide by people in other nations, including in the U.S., its best ally,” he said.

Opposition to the Bill in the Senate

While the Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 (pdf) has already passed the House of Representatives, it is facing a potential roadblock in the Senate.

Independent and minor party Senators including Jacqui Lambie, Lidia Thorpe, Fatima Payman, David Van, Malcolm Roberts, and others, alongside the Coalition, have voiced objections.

In a recent speech to the  Senate on Nov. 19, Independent Senator David Van joined other independent Senators who have spoken out against the bill to criticise the bill.

“This bill, as it currently stands, has significant flaws, and I will not be supporting it,” he said in Parliament (pdf).

“Our role in this place is not merely to pass or reject laws but to improve them and ensure they strengthen our way of life, including our freedoms.”

Liberal Senator Dean Smith also noted the legislation threatens to “undermine the democratic culture that has been a cornerstone of Australian society.

“While misinformation and disinformation are genuine challenges in our digital age, the solution cannot be one that gives excessive power to the government, stifles open debate and compromises freedom of speech,” he said.

“Australians have every reason to be alarmed. As a nation that has consistently ranked among the top democracies in the world, we have now slipped to 14th place under the Albanese government’s watch.”

One Nation Senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts plan to move a motion to remove the Bill from the Senate legislative agenda.

Hanson said One Nation would push for a vote to “throw Albanese’s Misinformation and Disinformation Bill” out of Parliament on Nov. 25.

Government Defends the Bill

However, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the bill has been “very carefully crafted” to take into account human rights obligations, including freedom of expression.

“The fact of the matter is, with this bill, we are striking a balance between both freedoms of expression and protection from harm, and the harms are real,” she said on Nov. 19.

“The harms include threats to our democracy, they include serious threats to people’s health and safety, and they can also be perpetuated by enemies of Australia.”

Bill Snapshot

The proposed legislation defines misinformation and disinformation as “content that contains information that is reasonably verifiable as false, misleading or deceptive” and likely to cause or contribute to serious harm.

Serious harm includes content that harms public health, the integrity of an Australian electoral process, or the vilification of a group in Australian society.

Further, it includes imminent harm to the Australian economy, damage to critical infrastructure, disruption of emergency services, and intentionally inflicted physical industry.

Australia’s media watchdog the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) would have the power to hold digital platforms accountable for information spread on their platforms.

These powers would include imposing fines through injunctions and civil penalties, making rules, and issuing formal warnings and remedial directions against social media platforms.