September 4, 2023
Tech giant Meta has been asked to review all previous “fact checks” completed by RMIT’s FactLab and publicly release the findings amid growing concerns of bias relating to the voice to parliament referendum.
Liberal Senator James Paterson has written to Meta’s director of public policy Mia Garlick about his ongoing concerns FactLab had taken a partisan view on the voice debate and requested immediate action be taken.
On Friday, the FactLab’s director Russell Skelton sent an email memo to service subscribers informing them of Meta’s decision to suspend its partnership with them, explaining this was due to its lapsed certification status with the International Fact Checking Network. However, he failed to mention that the suspension was also related to concerns of bias in the voice debate.
Mr Skelton has retweeted numerous pro-voice posts, including by Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, on his social media account X, previously Twitter.
Last week Meta released a statement saying FactLab’s suspension was due to the IFCN expired certification and the “nature of the allegations against RMIT and the upcoming referendum”.
In the meantime, FactLab continues to do fact-checking work.
Senator Paterson has urged Meta to scrutinise every fact check completed by FactLab related to the voice referendum.
“To ensure that the Australian public have confidence in Meta’s moderation decisions during the referendum, I am requesting that you review all previous ‘fact checks’ provided by RMIT relating to the voice referendum that have been displayed on Meta’s platforms,” he said. “I also ask that you release any findings on the objectivity and accuracy or otherwise of those fact checks.”
FactLab came under fire last month after fact-checking reports by Sky News Australia host Peta Credlin saying the Uluru Statement from the Heart is 26 pages long. Sky News posted a video of Credlin’s report on its Facebook page and Meta attached a “false information” tag after a fact-check by FactLab. This was despite voice architects previously stating the document was longer than one page.
ABC Media Watch host Paul Barry said there was “some point” to what Credlin was saying and the content should have had a “disputed label” on it instead.
A large majority of fact-checking by FactLab focuses on the no campaign, while only several fact-checks are related to the yes campaign. In a post that remains on the RMIT FactLab’s website, Skelton wrote, “FactLab is committed to ensuring the landmark voice referendum is not derailed by false and misleading information.
“Voters should come to vote armed with facts – not fear, ignorance or baseless claims.”
An RMIT spokeswoman was asked why Skelton made no mention of claims of voice bias in his email to readers on Friday.
“RMIT understands that Meta’s decision to temporarily suspend its use of RMIT FactLab’s services relates primarily to Fact-lab’s accreditation with the IFCN,” she said.
“This accreditation is currently in the process of being renewed. RMIT FactLab stands by the accuracy of its work to date and remains dedicated to slowing the spread of viral misinformation and disinformation through its fact checks.”
On August 17, voice architect Professor Megan Davis said in a radio interview that the “fact checking is going really well”.
“I think the no campaign is up to their 50th lie that’s been fact checked and has been deemed as not correct,” she said.
“That’s really important, the work of the fact checkers … RMIT, The Conversation, a number of them are doing this work, that is able to show Australians the kind of outlandish claims that are being made about this quite modest proposal is simply not true.”
Meta and Professor Davis were contacted for comment but did not respond.
