November 24, 2022
MEDIA STATEMENT
Senator James Paterson
Shadow Minister for Cyber Security
Shadow Minister for Countering Foreign Interference
Liberal Senator for Victoria
Thursday 24 November 2022
SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN INTERFERENCE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
The Senate has today agreed to re-establish the Senate Select Committee on Foreign Interference Through Social Media, which lapsed at the election. The committee handed down an interim report in the previous parliament and recommended the committee be re-established in the new parliament to hand down a final report.
The committee will examine the activities of social media applications headquartered in authoritarian countries, such as TikTok and WeChat, which pose a unique risk to the national security of Australia. The committee will also examine the way social media companies headquartered in Western countries, such as Twitter,Facebook and YouTube, have been successfully weaponised by authoritarian states in an attempt to interfere in our democracy.
Recent reports from Iranian diaspora communities of targeted online harassment, Russian state-backed disinformation campaigns about the invasion of Ukraine, and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s research exposing intimidation of activists and journalists working on Chinese human rights issues, demonstrate this is an ongoing problem which must be addressed.
The committee will seek evidence from experts, industry and government agencies, and will formulate policy recommendations for government.
Australia led the world with its foreign interference, espionage and influence reforms of 2018, which are now being adopted by likeminded countries around the world. But cyber-enabled foreign interference is a unique challenge which requires further reforms.
The committee will report by 1 August 2023.
Terms of reference
(1) That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on Foreign Interference through Social Media, be established to inquire into and report on the risk posed to Australia’s democracy by foreign interference through social media, with particular reference to:
(a) the use of social media for purposes that undermine Australia’s democracy and values, including the spread of misinformation and disinformation;
(b) responses to mitigate the risk posed to Australia’s democracy and values,including by the Australian Government and social media platforms;
(c) international policy responses to cyber-enabled foreign interference and misinformation;
(d) the extent of compliance with existing Australian laws and regulations; and
(e) any other related matters.
(2) That the committee present its final report by 1 August 2023.
ENDS
