The billionaire SpaceX founder responded to news that the Australian government wants to fine internet platforms for failing to prevent misinformation spreading online.
Key Takeaways
- Elon Musk called the Australian government ‘facsists’ via a post on X at 11pm on Thursday [AEST].
- The billionaire and SpaceX founder was responding to news that the Australian government wants to fine internet platforms (like X) up to 5% of their global revenue for failing to prevent the spread of so-called misinformation online.
- The government has said it will make tech platforms set codes of conduct for how they stop the spread of misinformation, or set its own standard if platforms fail to do so – then fine them for non-compliance.
- The legislation was set to be introduced into parliament today.
Key background
In the year’s since Elon Musk took over ownership of Twitter in a $44 billion deal and rebranded to X, the platform has raised concerns for its spread of misinformation – particularly around elections.
In September last year, Musk fired the election integrity team that worked to squash political falsehoods, and went on to re-instate thousands of accounts that had received permanent bans.
Australia has been particularly vigilant against X’s spread of misinformation: in April, the eSafety commissioner issued an edict to X to remove graphic content after footage of a Sydney bishop being stabbed were posted to the platform. Musk at the time accused the Australian government of infringing on free speech. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Musk was an “arrogant billionaire”. (In June, the eSafety commissioner withdrew proceedings).
And again earlier this year, Musk’s X lost a key fight over whether the platform was legally responsibly for its activities in Australia when the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled it could be held liable for hate speech published on its platform.
Crucial quote
“For the life of me, I can’t see how Elon Musk or anyone else, in the name of free speech, thinks it is OK to have social media platforms publishing scam content, which is robbing Australians of billions of dollars every year,” assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones told ABC TV. “Publishing deepfake material, publishing child pornography. Livestreaming murder scenes. I mean is this what he thinks free speech is all about?”
Tangent
SpaceX has completed its first private spacewalk, with two private astronauts aboard he all-civilian Polaris Dawn mission spending about 10 minutes each outside the Dragon capsule as it flew over Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Ocean.
One of those astronauts was Jared Isaacman, the billionaire founder behind payment company Shift4 and fighter-jet pilot.
It’s the furthest crewed space mission since NASA’s Apollo moon missions in the 1970s, reaching an altitude of about 870 miles.
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