Musk calls Australia’s government ‘fascists’ over misinformation bill
Australia proposes fines for social media platforms spreading misinformation
Elon Musk, the proprietor of social media platform X, labelled Australia’s centre-left government as “fascists” on Friday. This came in response to proposed legislation aimed at imposing fines on social media companies that fail to curb the spread of misinformation online.
On Thursday, Australia’s Labor government introduced a bill in Parliament that could penalise internet platforms up to 5% of their global revenue for allowing misinformation.
This move aligns with a global trend to regulate tech giants. The proposed law mandates tech platforms to establish codes of conduct to prevent dangerous falsehoods from spreading, subject to approval by a regulator.
Should a platform fail to comply, the regulator would impose its own standard and fine the companies for non-compliance.
Musk, who considers himself a defender of free speech, reacted to a post by an X user linking the news about the legislation with a single word: “Fascists”.
This isn’t the first time Musk has clashed with the Australian government. In April, X contested a cyber regulator’s directive to remove certain posts about a bishop’s stabbing in Sydney, leading Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to label Musk an “arrogant billionaire”.
Musk’s latest criticism of the move against misinformation sparked backlash from government officials. Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones dismissed his comment as “crackpot stuff,” emphasising the importance of sovereignty. Jones told ABC television that all governments, including Australia’s, have the right to enact laws to protect their citiz[sens.
He asserted that social media platforms must not use free speech as a shield to publish scam content, deepfake materials, and live-streamed violence.
What Other Media Are Saying
- SBS reports that Elon Musk calls Australia ‘fascists’ over proposed disinformation laws, which could fine social media companies up to 5% of their annual turnover, sparking controversy. (Read More)
- Yahoo Finance reports that Elon Musk has called Australian government officials “fascists” over proposed social media laws. (Read More)
- Bloomberg reports that Elon Musk labels the Australian government as “fascists” over proposed laws to combat digital misinformation on social media platforms. (Read More)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What did Elon Musk call Australia’s government?
Musk called Australia’s government ‘fascists’.
What is the proposed legislation in Australia about?
It aims to fine social media firms for failing to prevent misinformation.
How much could internet platforms be fined under the proposed law?
Up to 5% of their global revenue.
What would tech platforms need to do under the new law?
Set codes of conduct to stop dangerous falsehoods spreading.
What did Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones call Musk’s comment?
Jones called Musk’s comment ‘crackpot stuff’.
