Canberra, May 10 (Agency) The Australian government will set up an inquiry into the influence of social media.Michelle Rowland, the minister for communications, and Stephen Jones, assistant treasurer and minister for financial services, announced on Friday plans to establish a joint parliamentary committee to examine and report on the impacts of social media in Australia. The government expects the new committee to conduct inquiries into the spread of illegal and harmful content on social media, how algorithms influence what Australians see and the impacts of that content on mental health, and the decision by Meta to stop paying Australian media companies for news content.
The committee will have the power to compel witnesses, including social media company executives, to attend hearings. Rowland said that the committee would hold social media companies more accountable and transparent. “These social media companies have enormous reach and control over what Australians see with little to no scrutiny,” she said. “Establishing this inquiry will provide the opportunity and resources for parliamentarians to closely scrutinise these companies and make recommendations on how we can make these platforms accountable for their decisions.” Meta, the parent company of Facebook, said in March it would stop paying Australian publishers for news after current deals under the news media bargaining code expire later in 2024.