('reasonably verifiable as false' that means they don't even have to prove something as false, just put forth a 'reasonable' argument that it may be and presto... censored.)
from CATO Institute
Last week, Australia dropped its revised Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill 2024, and it’s about two sandwiches short of a picnic. The bill appears to draw some of its inspiration from the EU’s Digital Services Act in terms of creating significant responsibilities and regulations. And if past is prologue, what happens in Australia doesn’t stay in Australia—such as when Australia passed its “link tax” bill, which taxed social media companies when users shared links to news articles. That link tax spread to Canada and has been actively considered in the United States. Canada is also considering replicating Australia’s eSafety Commission, despite various cases of significant censorial overreach.
But whatever the rationale or history here, this bill not only will restrict Australians’ free speech and access to different online services, but its influence may spread and threaten American speech as well.
Let’s first look at how the bill defines misinformation and disinformation, a challenge for any bill or organization in this field. The bill defines misinformation as content that is
- “reasonably verifiable as false, misleading, or deceptive;” and
- “is likely to cause or contribute to serious harm.”
The definition also carves out some space for satire and parody, professional news content, and “reasonable” dissemination of content for “academic, artistic, scientific, or religious” reasons. Disinformation uses the same definition and adds that there must be grounds to suspect that the content was shared with the intent to deceive others or otherwise involves inauthentic behavior.
read more here
All in it together in this latest concerted push, just like always.
ReplyDeleteHere's a nasty reminder, from just before GWAR II Iraq 2003, how a fraser institute slug (one of our well known neocon stink tanks; we have only a few notable ones since we have only 40MM pop) in a position to do exactly what he did, claimed he was "rushed for time" in getting a war speech in the hands of our rabid evangelical PM then to read.
Harper staffer quits over plagiarized 2003 speech on Iraq
Harper's 2003 Commons address mirrors Australian PM's speech, Rae says
CBC News · Posted: Sep 30, 2008 5:46 AM CST | Last Updated: September 30, 2008
A staff member resigned and apologized Tuesday for writing a speech read by Stephen Harper in 2003 as leader of the Opposition that plagiarized from an address days earlier by then Australian prime minister John Howard.
Lippert worked for Harper, then leader of the Canadian Alliance, when the speech calling for Canadian troops to be deployed to Iraq was written and read in the House of Commons.
Lippert, a former policy analyst for economic think tank the Fraser Institute, has announced his resignation from his current position working in the Conservative campaign headquarters.