Former Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has said the internet has proven to be a magnet for drawing together ‚idiots and conspiracists‘ who otherwise would never meet each other.
Over 50 Australian MPs have joined a new parliamentary group that aims to hold technology giants accountable for the information they allow on their platforms. The Parliamentary Friends of Making Social Media Safe group is explained as providing a non-partisan forum for MPs to meet and highlight the environment of social media and the risks associated. The group will also consider how platforms can be held accountable for the material published on their sites, and what policy measures can be considered by governments to keep social media platforms safe. One member of the group is Science Minister Karen Andrews, who called it an avenue for „starting the conversation“. Speaking on 3AW on Tuesday morning, Andrews said one of the first items on the group’s agenda is to look at what the issues are, and how best to prosecute that. See also: Labor floats jail time as penalty for social media giants that breach Aussie law Pointing to the permanent suspension of soon-to-be former United States President Donald Trump from Twitter, Andrews said there was a „whole range of questions“ stemming from the ban, such as the consistency and fairness of various rules across social media sites. „There have been many instances of comments that have been taken down from various platforms, but yet in some instances, these platforms are very quick to act when it seems as if the subject content is something that they don’t personally agree with,“ she said.
