New Australia law threatens social media firms with fines, jail over violent content

[PSPS]

Source: Reuters

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia will fine social media companies up to 10 percent of their annual global turnover and imprison executives for up to three years if violent content is not removed “expeditiously” under a new law passed by the country’s parliament on Thursday.

The new law is in response to a lone gunman attack on two mosques in Christchurch on March 15, killing 50 people as they attended Friday prayers.

The gunman broadcasted his attack live on Facebook and it was widely shared for over an hour before being removed, a timeframe Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described as unacceptable.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newzealand-shooting-australia-laws/new-australia-law-threatens-social-media-firms-with-fines-jail-over-violent-content-idUSKCN1RG06O

[cstanleytech]

1. How do you enforce such a law if they do not have any physical presence in the country?

I mean I suppose you could try blocking every site unless they comply but there are ways around such blocks.

[Ford_Prefect]

2. If I recall correctly the internet in Australia is administered by the Post Office.

This would mean they could close company access along with what are no doubt regulatory penalties for abusing the service. I suspect someone has the representation contract in Australia for the local version of the corporation and they would no doubt be held accountable.

[cstanleytech]

3. But thats just it if a corporation that is a purely internet based has no physical

local presence how do they enforce such a law?

[Ford_Prefect]

4. NO internet company as yet exists purely online.

Last edited Thu Apr 4, 2019, 03:38 AM - Edit history (1)

They provide services by right of access which they have contracts for through the providers and whichever Govt agency enforces broadband use. If they violate terms of use they get cut off and or fined. If they provide services for a fee they must collect that fee and that will certainly be regulated in Australia.

AFAIK the internet depends on cooperative legal and business arrangements between corporations and the state. If a company domiciled in the UK committed a violation in Crete or Argentina reciprocity would lead to enforcement. Facebook has corporate officers who must submit to legal regulation. They also likely have contracts to convey funds and services in Australia which would legally bind them.

Last time I looked no one has an internet company domiciled on the moon. They all exist in some legal environment or else they cannot do business.

I am corrected: In Australia the internet is regulated by Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

[cstanleytech]

5. I did not say they existed purely online everywhere as of course they have a presence in the real

world somewhere.
As for the whole payment option again they do not have to have such an option in a country for a service they could simply rely on ads which again do not necessarily have to be located in the country to be displayed.
Unless of course the country in question has an extensive firewall setup that blocks everything unless they agree to comply with the countries laws.

[Ford_Prefect]

6. Bingo!

Unless of course the country in question has an extensive firewall setup that blocks everything unless they agree to comply with the countries laws.

Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has this authority in Australia. Facebook is likely to comply given recent events.
If you mean some other company I'd prefer you were more specific. One guy with a site he's running from his garage is not the same as an international corporation.

The debate about legal boundaries of the internet gets complicated when you try to apply standards of self expression across a range of cultures and legal communities. However, legal authorities in each state tend to expect legal compliance based on local standards. They also expect to enforce such compliance. The days of the wild-wide-open internet are gone if for no other reason than there are state security agencies who worry about access and terror and other awful things...And the big money is figuring out how to control the access for a fee.

[cstanleytech]

7. I knew countries like China, N. Korea and Iran censored the internet with firewalls but

I did not know Australia was one of them.
Makes me wonder what other countries do it as well.

[The Mouth]

8. Thank goodness for OUR first amendment

Censorship always sucks.

Of anything, anytime, anywhere, or for any reason.

I don't care how fucking disturbing it is, or who disagrees.

All information, media, and data that has ever existed belongs to everyone alive, the ONLY exceptions being personal (health, financial) information.

[Dr. Strange]

9. France tried to censor political ads that weren't "transparent" enough.

The government then ended up having their voting campaign censored on Twitter:
https://www.boston25news.com/news/twitter-stops-blocking-french-governments-ad-campaign/936934964

[Thyla]

10. Good!

They asked for governments to start legislating social media themselves, well this is a start.