Outspoken US free speech activist Michael Shellenberger has criticised the Albanese government's proposed reforms to online content laws, claiming they could stop Australians from viewing news about incidents like the Bondi Beach attack.
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they → criticise → attack
The commentator and journalist took aim at new legislation this week, which forms part of proposed changes to the Online Safety Act designed to 'protect Australians from serious online harm'.
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which → take → harm
Shellenberger warned the proposal, called the Digital Duty of Care Bill, was pushing for 'sweeping censorship' with powers to limit information on critical events.
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proposal → warn → events
'This legislation allows the government to run an unlimited number of fake accounts ... to essentially send propaganda,' he said in a clip shared by ex-Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
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he → allow → Abbott
I think it reveals that (the government) want powers for themselves and they want to deny freedoms for the people.
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they → think → people
'That's the opposite of what western civilisation has done, which has restricted the power of the state and expanded liberty for the people.
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which → do → people
'It's a real attack on this foundational pillar of western civilisation.'
The legislation, which was introduced by Communications Minister Anika Wells on Thursday, would put 'the onus on digital service providers to provide a safe online environment'.
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which → introduce → environment
Michael Shellenberger (pictured) took aim at the Albanese government's proposed reforms to online content laws
Big tech companies such as Meta and X would face fines of up to $100million if they were found not to be proactively reducing users' exposure to harmful content.
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they → picture → content
Under the bill, 'foreseeable harms' for underage social media users include exposure to bullying, pornography, misogynistic content and accounts promoting eating disorders.
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harms → include → disorders
For adults, the harms include violence, threats and criminality.
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harms → include → violence
But Shellenberger, who is on tour in Australia, described the bill as 'totalitarian' and has repeatedly criticised the legislation this week.
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who → describe → legislation
His travels brought him to Canberra, where he recounted a meeting with two unnamed government officials on Tuesday.
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he → bring → Tuesday
'First of all, they had no idea that the bill would allow the government to run offensive fake accounts attacking their political opponents on social media,' he said.
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he → have → media
Shellenberger said the officials told him the bill was necessary and said it was intended to prevent the broadcast of events such as the planned execution of Fort Hood gunman Nidal Hasan in the US.
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it → say → US
'I said, "What are you worried about exactly?"
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you → say → What
And they said, "We're worried about copycat killers",' he said.
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he → say → killers
I was like, "But under that logic it would allow the government to censor the Bondi massacre".'
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government → allow → massacre
Communications Minister Anika Wells introduced the Digital Duty of Care Bill to parliament on Thursday
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Wells → introduce → Thursday
They sort of hemmed and hawed and they said, "Oh well, but that would be a news event".
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that → hem → ?
And I was like, "But your bill allows you to censor news".
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you → allow → news
They didn't have any response.
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They → have → response
Shellenberger said the key takeaway is that the reforms allow the Albanese government 'to censor violent crime'.
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government → say → crime
Anything they think could contribute to what they call significant harm.
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they → think → what
This bill would allow the government to censor something like the Bondi (Beach) massacre,' he said.
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he → allow → massacre
An earlier version of the bill provided the communications minister with the power to determine what constituted 'serious harm'.
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what → provide → harm
However, this prompted pushback from both the Coalition and the Greens.
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this → prompt → Coalition
It was subsequently watered down, with the power now given to parliament to determine what constitutes harmful content.
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what → water → content
Shellenberger also said this week that he believes the bill was designed by Labor to crack down on the recent meteoric rise of One Nation.
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bill → say → Nation
'Mark my words, these powers will be turned against Labor’s political opponents like One Nation and ordinary Australians who dare criticise this corrupt government,' he said.
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he → mark → government
If you don’t have the ability to freely share and receive information you don’t have a democracy.
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you → have → democracy
'And most concerningly, this bill allows the Labor Government to operate fake online bot accounts to spread government propaganda.
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Government → allow → propaganda
'Silencing critics and manufacturing consent for government are the methods of authoritarian regimes.
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Silencing → silence → regimes
They have no place in a democracy.
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They → have → democracy
Wells staunchly defended the legislation in her Thursday Press Club address.
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Wells → defend → address
'We are a sovereign nation and we do not flinch from protecting Australian kids from known harms.
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we → flinch → harms
We will continue to do that,' she said.
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she → continue → that
'And ultimately I, as the Minister for Communications, am seeking to make laws for Australian shores.
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I → seek → shores
These are Australian laws for people to abide by if they choose to come to Australian shores.
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they → abide → shores
She told attendees she was aware of young social media users being encouraged to take their own lives.
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users → tell → lives
'Let me tell you about a 14-year-old girl in Western Australia,' she said.
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she → let → Australia
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
