SYDNEY: Australia is deeply concerned by Meta’s decision to scrap US fact-check operations on its Facebook and Instagram platforms, a senior minister said Thursday.
The government – which has been at the forefront of efforts to rein in social media giants – was worried about a surge of false information spreading online, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.
“Misinformation and disinformation is very dangerous, and we’ve seen it really kind of explode in the last few years,” Chalmers told national broadcaster ABC.
“And it’s a very damaging development, damaging for our democracy. It can be damaging for people’s mental health to get the wrong information on social media, and so of course we are concerned about that.”
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday the group would “get rid of fact-checkers” and replace them with community-based posts, starting in the United States.
Chalmers said the decision was “very concerning.”
The government had invested in trusted Australian news providers such as the ABC and national newswire AAP to ensure people had reliable sources for information, he said.
Disinformation and misinformation had become “a bigger and bigger part of our media, particularly our social media,” the treasurer said.
Australia has frequently irked social media giants, notably Elon Musk’s X, with its efforts to restrict the distribution of false information or content it deems dangerous.
Late last year, the country passed laws to ban under-16s from signing up for social media platforms. Offenders face fines of up to A$50 million ($32.5 million) for “systemic breaches.”
But in November, a lack of support in parliament forced the government to ditch plans to fine social media companies if they fail to stem the spread of misinformation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday he stood by the ban on children’s access to social media because of the impact it had on their mental health.
Asked about Meta’s fact-checking retreat, Albanese told reporters: “I say to social media they have a social responsibility and they should fulfil it.”
Australian group Digital Rights Watch said Meta had made a “terrible decision,” accusing it of acting in clear deference to incoming US president Donald Trump.
AFP currently works in 26 languages with Facebook’s fact-checking program.
Facebook pays to use fact checks from around 80 organizations globally on the platform, as well as on WhatsApp and Instagram.
Australian fact-checking operation AAP FactCheck said its contract with Meta in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific was not impacted by the group’s US decision.
“Independent fact-checkers are a vital safeguard against the spread of harmful misinformation and disinformation that threatens to undermine free democratic debate in Australia and aims to manipulate public opinion,” said AAP chief executive Lisa Davies.
Australia frets over Meta halt to US fact-checking
https://arab.news/nz6bv
Australia frets over Meta halt to US fact-checking
- Australia has frequently irked social media giants with its efforts to restrict the distribution of false information or content it deems dangerous
- Late last year, the country passed laws to ban under-16s from signing up for social media platforms
Press groups slam Israel’s ongoing ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza
- Israeli government did not officially explain why it continues to block journalists, despite earlier pledges to reexamine its position
- Government’s next response is due by Dec. 21, though court observers warn this deadline may once again be extended
LONDON: Press freedom advocates and international news organizations have condemned Israel’s ban on international journalists entering Gaza despite a nearly two-month-long ceasefire with Hamas.
On Thursday, Israel’s Supreme Court granted yet another extension for the government to respond to the case, the ninth delay since a petition was filed by the Foreign Press Association in Israel in September 2024, demanding open access for foreign correspondents to report from the war-torn enclave.
The delay drew condemnations, with The New York Times, one of the media organizations supporting the legal challenge, saying the restrictions are “limiting reporting on the ground that is vital to understanding the conflict and assuring the free and credible flow of information.”
In a statement quoted by the newspaper, a spokesperson urged Israel to “lift restrictions without delay, allowing all journalists to work securely and without fear or hesitation.”
Sara Qudah, Middle East and North Africa director at the Committee to Protect Journalists, said the ban echoed press crackdowns seen in authoritarian regimes, calling it “a deliberate barrier to accountability.”
Israel has come under intensifying pressure to allow journalists inside Gaza throughout the years of the war.
Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israeli authorities have prevented foreign journalists from independently entering the devastated territory, allowing only a handful of reporters to accompany its troops into the Palestinian territory under Israeli blockade.
Reporters said they were not permitted to conduct independent investigations or speak freely with residents during the coverage tours.
Human rights organizations and press freedom advocates said the absence of international media has made it harder to independently verify war crimes or abuses committed by Israel and Hamas.
While Israel has previously cited “security concerns” and the need to protect military operations as justification, press groups maintain that such arguments no longer hold, especially in the current ceasefire climate.
The Israeli government did not officially explain why it continues to block journalists, despite earlier pledges to reexamine its position. In October, the government told the court it would review the policy within 30 days “in light of the ceasefire,” but no changes have followed.
The government’s next response is due by Dec. 21, though court observers warn this deadline may once again be extended.
The CPJ reported that more than 200 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza during the war, calling it “the deadliest conflict for journalists since CPJ began documenting deaths in 1992.”
A day after the latest court extension, FPA released a statement, saying it “firmly opposed” another delay to the Israeli supreme court’s decision on its petition demanding independent access to the Gaza Strip.
“Continuously preventing coverage — every minute, every hour, every day — seriously undermines the ability of international media to carry out their mission, and infringes on the fundamental rights of billions of users,” the FPA said in a statement.
The association represents hundreds of foreign journalists working for international news organizations in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
In October, it joined numerous international organizations that have demanded press access into Gaza. In July, major news agencies including AFP, AP, BBC and Reuters released a joint statement urging Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza, voicing concerns on the status of Palestinian journalists enduring famine, bombardment and displacement while covering the war for international outlets.
