The Australian government has faced criticism for its decision to abandon legislation aimed at combating disinformation on social media. During a keynote speech in Canberra on Monday, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa labelled this retreat a significant error, urging for more stringent regulation of major technology companies, which she believes pose a grave threat to democracy.
In her address at the National Press Club, Ressa highlighted how social media and generative artificial intelligence have empowered authoritarian leaders to spread distrust in the media and control public narratives through misinformation. “The greatest threat we face today isn’t any individual leader or one government,” Ressa stated. “It’s the technology that’s amplifying authoritarian tactics worldwide.”
Australia currently stands at a pivotal moment in its democratic journey, according to Ressa, who called for immediate action to regulate online platforms. In 2024, the federal government rescinded a bill that would have required social media companies to actively monitor and control misinformation, a decision that followed a lack of support in the Senate. This legislation was intended to grant the communications regulator the authority to eliminate content identified as disinformation.
Former opposition leader Peter Dutton described the proposed laws as a “dangerous” attempt to infringe upon free speech, while members of the Greens and other coalition parties expressed their own reservations. Ressa stressed that abandoning such laws was a “mistake” that nations often recognize only after experiencing attacks on their democratic processes. “The human rights we deserve in the physical world, we deserve in the virtual world,” she asserted.
Ressa, a Filipino-American journalist awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for her coverage of the regime of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, underscored the global implications of her work. She noted, “What happened in the Philippines under Duterte is a template that’s exported globally.” Her concerns extend to similar patterns emerging in democracies, including those in Australia.
She referenced actions taken by former US President Donald Trump, such as multi-million dollar lawsuits against media outlets and efforts to restrict journalists’ access to the White House.
In a related development, Australia is set to implement a world-first ban on children under the age of 16 using social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, beginning in December 2024. Ressa welcomed this initiative, advocating for the treatment of social media in a similar manner to alcohol, emphasizing the need for accountability regarding underage users. “There’s a place for social media, but there is not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children,” she remarked.
Additionally, Ressa urged the Australian government to enhance protections for the press and to invest in the infrastructure necessary for a healthy information ecosystem. “Just as governments invest in roads, bridges, and power grids, they must invest in the information infrastructure that democracy requires,” she concluded.
The ongoing conversation around these issues reflects a growing recognition of the complex relationship between technology and democratic governance, shedding light on the urgent need for effective regulatory frameworks.
