Misinformation bill request for public submission

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Sep 29, 2024, 9:00:45 PM9/29/24
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The objection page on this one apparently flew under the
radar so there is apparently very little time to actually
post objections.

https://alignedcouncilofaustralia.com.au/mad-bill/

For reference, this 'misinformation' bill if it has not
changed from the draft I already analysed, can be summarised
as doing the following:

A private organisation accountable only to politicians, and
appointed by them with no oversight from the public is given
the job of managing the definition of misinformation, and
enforcing fines on any material they deem.

The defined offensive items list can be changed at any time
(without much in the way of notice) only by the government,
and there appears to be no limit to the form or medium that
the list is applied to.  Nor does it apparently honour
borders or jurisdiction.  Nor does there appear to be much
if any framework or mechanism for the public to submit items
or object to existing ones, or appeal.  There appears to be
no protections to members of the public accused.

If the person they take offence to is anonymous, then they
are empowered to discover, by any means, legal or otherwise
to identity of the person, to punish them, and failing that
they will have the power to force severe punishments on any
organisation or their representative who does not supply the
private details of their target until they do so.

So one of the first things this will do, when combined with
the existing metadata wiretap laws, is identify any
whistleblowers, simply by the object of said whistleblowing
claiming it is misinformation - especially if a government
department is concerned - and a government official adding
it to the "naughty list"

Those who are punished will have their personal details
published on a internet facing page of questionable
security,  but those who can view said list will be from a 
limited number of individuals. Maybe.

This bill also legalises government engaging in
misinformation, lies and deceptions, while at the same time
empowering the above organisation to silence anyone trying
to expose the lies to protect the government from being held
to account for deception.

So it appears to overrule/undermine by defacto, libel and
slander laws - since the 'definitions' are fluid there is no
safeguards to ensure the item being claimed as slander/libel
was actually a lie, since all it requires is the 'above the
law' organisation (ministry of truth vibe here)  managing
it; to have deemed it misinformation without any proof that
it actually was - so long as it is on "their list"

In effect this is a powerful propaganda and censorship
enforcement bill, that makes it illegal to speak out against
misinformation when it is done by the government, framed as
a social welfare and integrity bill to get it passed, as /in
theory/ it could also be used to restrict actual
misinformation - but it is very open ended.  Dangerously so.
Since there seemed be be an unusually large emphasis on
exempting government from it to the point it will actually
punish anyone who points out the government is being
misleading.

I found an earlier draft of the actual proposed legislation
a while ago here:

https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/communications-legislation-amendment-combatting-misinformation-and-disinformation-bill2023-june2023.pdf

Be warned a lot of the more dangerous provisions are hidden
pretty well, often obfuscated by legal-ese and you will need
a lot of caffeine to get through it all.

This is not a good law.

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Google - making sure, life is no more, than 1984...
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In politics - Later never happens.

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