Australia’s eSafety Commissioner wants to introduce new powers that would give her greater authority to intervene against what she calls “online pile-ons”—when many users simultaneously direct criticism at a person or an account on social media. Critics warn that this could lead to increased self-censorship and the silencing of uncomfortable opinions. This development is seen as yet another step toward greater government control over digital discourse.
Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, wants to introduce new powers that would allow her to compel social media platforms to take action against so-called “pile-ons”—when many users simultaneously direct criticism at a person or an account. The proposal would allow platforms to hide comments, limit their spread, and, in some cases, suspend accounts participating in mass criticism.
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