Millions of Australians rely on social media networks like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for staying up to date with news, friends, family and the wider world. But these powerful big tech platforms are driving the spread of disinformation and hate speech like a wildfire engulfing Australia’s democracy.

While Australia has been an early mover on reform for online safety and digital media, it lags on key aspects of regulating digital platforms.

The Human Rights Law Centre has provided a submission to the parliamentary inquiry into the influence of international digital platforms, calling for three key recommendations:

1. The Federal Government should move away from self-regulatory and co-regulatory models for digital platforms, by replacing existing co-regulatory codes and ensuring new regulations are written by legislators or regulators.

2. The Federal Government should introduce a comprehensive digital regulatory framework for Australia, focused on transparency and risks arising from platforms’ systems and processes. This should include:

• requirements for major platforms to undertake and publish risk assessments that identify human rights risks and other forms of harm, with corresponding obligations to develop and implement mitigation measures;
• a data access regime to support civil society research and enhance transparency;
• measures to give users greater control over the collection and use of their personal data, including by making recommender systems opt-in and by limiting forms of profiling;
• broad information-gathering and enforcement powers for an independent, well-resourced and integrated regulator.

3. Parliament should consider mechanisms for enhancing parliamentary scrutiny of digital regulation, such as the establishment of a dedicated committee for digital affairs, and for improving the coordination of tech policy across government.

Scott Cosgriff, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre said: 

“Technology should serve communities, not put people at risk. Australia’s regulatory framework for digital platforms should be centred around the protection of human rights and community interests.

“Big tech digital platforms are allowing disinformation to spread like wildfire in our democracy. Instead of the lax, voluntary and ineffective self-regulation measures currently in place, we need laws to make digital platforms more transparent and accountable.

“As long as business as usual continues for big tech, Australian people and our human rights will be under threat. But disinformation online is a democratic problem with a democratic solution. We should have greater control over our own data and we need greater transparency around why certain content floods our feeds. We need comprehensive laws and checks in place to limit the amplification of disinformation that causes harm and undermines trust in institutions.”

Read the Human Rights Law Centre’s submission to the Parliamentary Submission to the Inquiry on Influence of International Digital Platforms here

Media Contact:
Thomas Feng
Human Rights Law Centre
Media and Communications Manager
thomas.feng@hrlc.org.au
0431 285 275