Internet companies will now be forced to hand over their internal data to the Australian Government

This will allow the country’s media regulator to see how Big Tech companies are handling misinformation and disinformation on their platforms.

Those companies that do not cooperate will have the internet industry code enforced on them all in an effort to reduce the spread of fake news and information online.

The move by the Australian Communications and Media Authority comes after a report found that 80% of Australian adults have come across misinformation about coronavirus.

The majority of those impacted believed that these online platforms should be acting to stop or limit the amount of false information.

Europe has also made similar decisions set to take effect by the end of the year.

The European Union plans to toughen these measures even further in light of the disinformation presented by Russian state-owned media in relation to the invasion of Ukraine.

Australia’s Communications Minister Paul Fletcher says “digital platforms must take responsibility for what is on their sites and take action when harmful or misleading content appears”.

Misleading content was most commonly found on larger services including Facebook and Twitter where misinformation was often presented as highly emotive and amplified.