the Joint Select Committee on Social Media finally ended today.
𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
🔴 This Committee is to determine the use of age verification (Digital ID) to protect children from social media.
🔴 Journalists and news corporations raised their concerns of the spread of mis/disinformation.
🔴 Sarah Hanson-Young is concerned about the harms of social media on young people.
🔴 Australian Media Alliance President, Karen Percy believes it’s okay for MSM to be exempt from Mis/Dis bill.
🔴 Zoe Daniel has a $3000 Louis Vuitton handbag.
🔴 The decision on whether the government will enforce age verification on social media appears to be an emotional one, rather than a logical one.
🔴 There was almost no opposition at the Committee hearings, only Leo Puglisi provided any differing views.
🔴 CyberCX Executive Director, Jordan Newnham investigated 𝕏Corp for spreading propaganda, reached out for comment but they didn’t respond.
🔴 Disaffected male teenagers find themselves engaging in content produced by Andrew Tate because the algorithm allegedly forces it upon them.
🔴 The only social media platform that was vilified by the Committee throughout the entire proceeding was 𝕏.
🔴 Leo Puglisi had a formal, almost 1 hour long discussion on the impacts of a social media ban for teenagers. Only +1 other U18 was present at the Committee throughout the previous sessions. Believes YouTube is too valued by teens to be restricted, shouldn’t be a blanket ban, more social media education for parents.
The report is now due on or before 18 November, 2024.
From this date, there will be 7 sitting days for the Government to attempt to shoehorn legislation through the Senate and House of Representatives, which obviously includes the ‘Combatting Misinformation & Disinformation’ bill and any legislation that would ban social media access for teenagers.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 is being tabled in Parliament.
This is not a drill.
It will V͟E͟R͟Y͟ ͟L͟I͟K͟E͟L͟Y be guillotined through the Senate without debate and receive the majority of votes needed by the Labor Party/Greens/Independents in the HOR, exactly the same way the Digital iD bill was shoehorned into law in