Elon Musk has slammed Australia’s crackdown on social media companies that allow disinformation and misinformation on their platforms.
Australia’s Assistant Treasurer, Stephen Jones, said Musk’s comment was “crackpot stuff”.
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Australia’s misinformation legislation would give the communications watchdog powers to regulate content on digital platforms.
“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,” Jones said.
“We assert our right to pass laws which will keep Australians safe,” he said.
Proposals from the Labor government have outlined that platforms could be fined up to 5 per cent of global annual revenue if they allow the spread of disinformation or misinformation.
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Former Labor leader Bill Shorten said Musk’s responses to online monitering has been inconsistent.
“When it’s in his commercial interests, he is the champion of free speech, when he doesn’t like it, he’s going to shut it all down,” Shorten said.
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