In the current set of newly proposed social media laws that take aim at doxxing, misinformation, and other online behaviours, the government has been careful to create exemptions for mainstream media. This is presumably to protect against any law that allows the government to infringe on the right to free press.
But as Crikey’s Bernard Keane points out, it is actually mainstream media that have become the ‘biggest perpetrators of misinformation and privacy breaches’. Keane points to countless examples where 7News, The Daily Telegraph, Sky News, The Australian, and others have engaged in behaviour that would be considered illegal under the new laws.
Keane doesn’t really offer a solution and you may or may not agree that mainstream media have become ‘the biggest perpetrators’, but nonetheless he raises an interesting question.
*Under the newly proposed social media misinformation laws, would you rather mainstream media outlets be given special privileges or be held to the same standards as all other users?*
Source: [https://www.crikey.com.au/2024/09/13/social-media-misinformation-doxxing-privacy-laws/](https://www.crikey.com.au/2024/09/13/social-media-misinformation-doxxing-privacy-laws/)
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Source: Voice_Drop
1 Comment
Mainstream media should be held to a much higher standard than twitter randos.
You read twitter/reddit whatever; you know it is someone’s opinion, likely without full facts, and with their bias.
If society is granting broadcast bandwidth and licenses; media must strive to be professional and maintain legitimacy.
Truly bad faith misinformation and “hidden” paid messaging should be challenged in all domains.