The Human Rights Law Centre is pushing for laws to prevent social media companies from amplifying lies and disinformation designed to distort important political debate.

We all want to live in a society where public discussion is based on facts, and elections and referendums are a fair contest between political positions rooted in reality. We should be able to trust that the news we read online is honest and credible.

But currently, there are no laws to prevent social media companies from amplifying lies and disinformation designed to distort important political debate. Across the globe, disinformation is being used as a powerful weapon to gain public support for regressive movements that want to wind-back human rights.

Here in Australia, disinformation was used in the referendum to undermine the truth and dissuade voters from supporting the Voice to Parliament. Racist ideology and fearmongering were rife on social media platforms and amplified on television, radio and newspapers by traditional media.

But it doesn’t need to be this way. Right now, the Federal Government is consulting on a bill that takes a first step towards curbing misinformation and disinformation on social media. The Bill would require oversight of social media platforms that fail to enforce their own codes of conduct.

But even this modest step is under significant threat from a dangerous disinformation campaign. This week, a large conservative campaign organisation behind the No campaign declared the Federal Government’s misinformation laws will be its “next target”.

The Human Rights Law Centre will continue engaging with the Government to improve its draft Bill so it can be introduced and passed through parliament.