Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk has lashed out at the Australian government for its proposal to impose hefty fines on social media companies, including his platform, X (formerly known as Twitter). The Australian Labor government recently introduced legislation that, if passed, could penalize these companies with fines up to 5% of their global revenue for allowing the spread of misinformation, joining a global movement to regulate major tech firms.
The proposed law would require social media platforms to establish stringent measures to curb misinformation. If platforms fail to create their own guidelines, regulators would step in and enforce their own, with the power to impose fines for non-compliance.
Musk responded to the proposal in a tweet last Friday, labeling Australia’s centre-left government as “fascists.”
A representative for Communications Minister Michelle Rowland responded via email, stating that companies operating in Australia are required to follow Australian laws. Rowland further commented, “This bill improves transparency and holds platforms accountable to users and the Australian public.”
Musk’s remark faced backlash from government officials. Minister for Government Services, Bill Shorten, took aim at Musk, saying on Channel Nine’s breakfast show, “Elon Musk’s had more positions on free speech than the Kama Sutra. When it’s commercially beneficial, he champions free speech, but when he dislikes it, he wants to shut everything down.” Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones also weighed in during an ABC interview, stating that free speech should not be used to justify the publication of scam content, deepfakes, or violent live streams.
This isn’t Musk’s first confrontation with the Australian government. In April, X (Twitter) challenged a cyber regulator’s order to remove posts related to a stabbing incident in Sydney, leading Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to label Musk an “arrogant billionaire.”
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