A new report by the Human Rights Law Centre is calling for urgent government intervention to combat the growing menace of misinformation and disinformation on digital platforms. The Rights-First: Principles for Digital Platform Regulation report highlights the critical need for robust oversight of tech giants like Meta, X, and TikTok, which currently operate with minimal accountability.
The report argues that Australia’s current approach of allowing big tech to self-regulate is fundamentally broken. Digital platforms have little incentive to address harmful content, as misinformation and controversial posts drive engagement and ultimately, profits. This hands-off approach is causing serious damage to public discourse, eroding trust in democratic institutions, and putting communities at risk.
David Mejia-Canales, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, emphasised the urgent need for change. “Technology should serve our communities, not endanger them,” he stated. The proliferation of dangerous content—from fake election claims to harmful health misinformation and inflammatory hate speech—is actively poisoning Australia’s democratic landscape.
The recommendations are clear and comprehensive. The government should establish an independent regulator with the power to set and enforce strict standards for digital platforms. This includes implementing a legislated duty of care that would compel platforms to proactively prevent harm and introducing significant penalties for non-compliance.
Critically, the proposed Combatting Misinformation Bill falls short of these necessary reforms. Instead of meaningful change, it threatens to maintain the status quo, allowing platforms to continue prioritising engagement over societal well-being.
Australia now risks falling behind. The government has a pivotal opportunity to protect its citizens by implementing robust, human rights-focused digital platform regulations that hold big tech accountable for the real-world consequences of their unregulated platforms. The message is clear: self-regulation has failed, and government intervention is not just recommended—it’s essential.
For a full reading of the submission, see here.
