The tech billionaire's comments prompted a rebuke from Australian officials.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has branded the Australian government “fascist” over its proposals to fine social media companies that fail to stop the spread of misinformation online.
Under proposals from Australia’s centre-left Labor government, platforms could be fined up to 5 per cent of their global annual revenue if they allow the spread of content that is “reasonably verifiable as false, misleading or deceptive and reasonably likely to cause or contribute to serious harm”.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland announced the legislation on Thursday after an earlier draft of the law was scrapped following backlash from media outlets, civil liberties campaigners and the country's human rights watchdog.
“Disinformation and misinformation pose a serious threat to the safety and wellbeing of Australians, as well as to our democracy, society and economy. Doing nothing and allowing this problem to fester is not an option,” Rowland said.
X owner Musk responded to a post about the proposed law on Thursday night with one word: “fascists.”
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten rejected Musk's comments, accusing the Tesla CEO of being inconsistent on free speech.
“Elon Musk has had more positions on free speech than the Kama Sutra. You know, when it's in his business interest, he's the champion of free speech and when he doesn't like it, he's going to shut it down,” Shorten said in an interview on Nine Network's Today morning show.
Deputy Treasurer Stephen Jones also responded to Musk, saying the law is a matter of national sovereignty.
“This is madness. It really is madness,” Jones told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Posting deepfake material, posting child pornography, live-streaming murder scenes,” Jones added. “I mean, is this what he thinks free speech means?”
Musk has previously clashed with Australian authorities over the issue of freedom of speech.
In April, X took Australia's e-safety commissioner to court to challenge an order to remove posts relating to a knife attack on a bishop in Sydney.
The case sparked a war of words between Musk and Australian officials, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling the tech company founder an “arrogant billionaire.”
The internet watchdog dropped its legal fight in June after an Australian judge refused to extend an order requiring X to hide a graphic video of the stabbing from around the world, which the platform had refused to do.
