Platforms Ombudsman, disinformation and countering extremism

Today we post our recent submission to a review of a code of practice on disinformation, and we release our new research report on another aspect of digital platform regulation – complaint handling. 
 
Below, Michael Davis describes the approach we’ve adopted in our submission to DIGI’s review of the Australian Code of Practice on Misinformation and Disinformation. Then I explain how our report, Digital Platform Complaint Handling: Options for an External Dispute Resolution Scheme – picks up on the ACCC’s recommendation for a Digital Platform Ombudsman, finding some obstacles to the viability of such a scheme.  

While we’ve been considering the options for a Digital Platform Ombudsman, the ABC has announced its new Ombudsman. The appointment results from a review conducted by Professor John McMillan (a former Commonwealth and NSW Ombudsman) and Jim Carroll (formerly Director News and Current Affairs at SBS). Current ACMA Authority member and former head of Screen Australia, Fiona Cameron, has been appointed.
  
In other news, Axios reported that in the US Meta has told its news partners that it doesn’t intend to keep making deals with publishers for content to appear on its Facebook News Tab. This will be a blow to publishers in the US, and there may be implications for Australian publishers. Here, some publishers secured significant deals with Meta as a result of the introduction of the News Media Bargaining Code legislation at the start of last year. 
  
Countering some of the gloom, below Gary Dickson reports on the announcement by the Federal Government of new funding to help regional and suburban local, Indigenous and CALD news businesses. Gary notes this is the first time that the quality measure used in the News Media Bargaining Code - the courts, councils and communities classifier, ‘core news’ - has been tied directly to eligibility for government funding.  

Ayesha closes out the newsletter with a report on the symposium we held at UTS last week on countering violent extremism, and we highlight our next event on August 19, 'Who Should Tell Stories About Conflict?' with a link to a compelling film featuring one of the panellists, Marwa Moeen. 

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Derek Wilding, CMT Co-Director