Tech billionaire Elon Musk has labeled the Australian government as “fascists” in response to new proposals aimed at fining social media companies for failing to curb misinformation.
Under the new proposals by Australia’s center-left Labor Party, platforms could face fines of up to 5 percent of their global annual revenue if they allow the spread of content deemed “reasonably verifiable as false, misleading, or deceptive and likely to cause serious harm.”
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland unveiled the legislation on Thursday, following backlash against an earlier draft from media outlets, civil liberties advocates, and human rights organizations.
“Misinformation and disinformation are significant threats to Australians’ safety, democracy, society, and economy. Ignoring this issue is not an option,” Rowland stated.
Musk responded to news of the proposed law with a single word on Thursday night: “Fascists.”
In reaction, Government Services Minister Bill Shorten criticized Musk, accusing him of inconsistency on free speech issues.
“Elon Musk has had more positions on free speech than the Kama Sutra. When it benefits his business, he champions free speech; when it doesn’t, he shuts it down,” Shorten said during an interview on Nine Network’s Today breakfast show.
Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones also rebutted Musk’s remarks, emphasizing that the law pertains to national sovereignty. “This is crackpot stuff,” Jones told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “Is publishing deepfake material, child pornography, or livestreaming murder scenes what Musk thinks free speech is about?”
Musk has previously clashed with Australian authorities over free speech. In April, X (formerly Twitter) challenged an Australian eSafety commissioner’s order to remove posts related to a knife attack on a Sydney bishop. The legal battle resulted in a heated exchange between Musk and Australian officials, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing Musk as an “arrogant billionaire.”
The eSafety commissioner dropped the case in June after an Australian judge refused to extend an order for X to globally hide the graphic video of the stabbing.
