'No pathway,' Australian government abandons proposed social media misinformation laws

The Australian government Sunday announced it is abandoning proposed laws that would have forced social media companies to regulate misinformation and disinformation on their platforms.

In a statement, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland announced that the legislation would not proceed because there was "no pathway" in the Senate, local broadcaster SBS News reported.

If passed, the now-scrapped legislation would have given the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) power to monitor digital platforms and require them to keep records about misinformation and disinformation on their networks.

However, the opposition coalition, the Greens and several independent senators rejected the legislation, leaving no pathway for the governing Labor Party to secure the required majority of votes in favor.

Separately, a ban on children under 16 from accessing social media, aiming to tackle online harm among minors, is set to sail through parliament with the support of the opposition next week.

Tech companies and human rights groups have also opposed a blanket social media ban, highlighting the focus should be on creating a safe online experience, not stripping access to some of the positive benefits.