Silicon Valley’s lobbying group in Australia, the Digital Industry Group (DIGI), is challenging a mandate to address misinformation on social media. Their discussion paper supports a 2021 decision to manage coordinated disinformation but questions the role of digital platforms in combating it.
DIGI highlights the lack of agreed-upon definitions for misinformation and disinformation, defining misinformation as factually incorrect information and disinformation as deliberately spread falsehoods. They assert that existing concerns about misinformation may not reflect actual negative impacts on the community, labeling “misinformation alarmism” as a potential threat to democracy.
They cite climate change as a contentious issue, noting that perceptions of misinformation vary significantly based on political allegiance. DIGI’s Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation, established in February 2021, intends to mitigate harm caused by misinformation but has faced challenges, including a decline in platform engagement with combating disinformation.
The code, which has eight signatories, is set for a review in 2025, amid diminishing efforts by social media companies to tackle misinformation in the U.S.
