Australia will impose a ‘digital duty of care’ on tech companies. A good idea – if it can be enforced

It may be more appropriate than a social media ban. But there are challenges when it comes to defining what constitutes harm.

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Lisa M. Given A digital duty of care also has the potential to address the problem of misinformation and disinformation. In an escalation of its battle with big tech, the Australian federal government has announced that it plans to impose a “digital duty of care” on tech companies to reduce online harms.

The announcement follows the government’s controversial plans to legislate a social media ban for young people under 16 and impose tighter rules on digital platforms such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok to address misinformation and disinformation. Already a subscriber? Log in Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month $9.90 $9.



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