Fighting disinformation and hate speech

 

KEY PROJECT | Democratic Freedoms

Disinformation is used to create division and to polarise our communities for political or financial gain. The Human Rights Law Centre advocates for legal reforms to prevent its spread and penalties for politicians who deliberately mislead the public.

 
Image of computers
 
 

Disinformation targets people’s fears and anxieties and is used to create division and to polarise our communities for political or financial gain. Once unleashed, it travels seamlessly across social media, between newspapers, talkback radio and messaging apps. Digital platforms and media companies profit from it, and some politicians build a platform on it.  

Digital platforms like Meta and Google have an enormous level of influence over public discourse, with the power to amplify the information – and disinformation – that forms the basis for people’s decisions and beliefs. There are big profits to be made in tracking our behaviour and selling our attention, and they are driving the spread of disinformation and hate speech on a level never before seen in history.  

Nonetheless, the Australian government has so far indicated that it will continue to pursue a model that allows this powerful industry to play by its own rules.  

Through deep consultation with tech and legal experts, we have developed a framework for legal solutions that are ambitious, realistic and systemic.  

During the 2022 federal election, we convened community, human rights and civil society groups to call on candidates to campaign honestly and commit to crucial reforms to stop the spread of disinformation in our democracy. Our policy vision was shared publicly across social media and through direct advocacy with politicians. We have provided evidence to two parliamentary inquiries and one departmental review on how to stop the spread of disinformation and hate speech, and continue to engage community partners and the media around our reforms.  

In October 2024, we launched Rights-First: Principles for Digital Platform Regulation a new report calling on the Albanese Government to step in and stop big tech regulating itself, while harmful misinformation and disinformation poisons Australia’s democracy. 

The Rights-First report recommends that the Albanese Government:  

  • Appoint an independent regulator to set the rules and standards platforms must follow;  

  • Require platforms to consider and address the human rights impacts of their products and services;  

  • Impose a legislated duty of care on platforms for their users. This would make sure platforms have to make sure their systems and products do not cause or enable harm; and  

  • Impose significant penalties for digital platform non-compliance. 

This vital work is ongoing, we are continuing to engage with the federal government to improve its proposed legislation to curb disinformation. 

 
 
Key ProjectRachel RichmondDemocratic Freedoms