“We urge all political parties to resist the temptation to rush new social media legislation through the Parliament without proper consideration,” Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.
“The community expects protection against extremist violence and discretion from all media in dealing with imagery of that violence.
“But rushing through a Bill without proper consultation is never a good idea and diminishes trust in our Parliamentary system. The Sharing of Abhorrent Violent Material Amendment Bill deserves full consideration and scrutiny.
“As we saw with the Encryption Law that was rushed through Parliament in December last year, industry and community concerns were not addressed and despite promises of subsequent amendment, remain unresolved to this day.
“Creation of new offences, regulation of media and extraterritorial laws raise legitimate questions that cannot be answered in a day or two.
“More time is required for consultation on this Bill to ensure that it properly addresses the underlying community need, without unnecessarily impinging on fundamental existing media rights and freedoms. Rushing this legislation through will not make Australia safe,” Mr Willox said.
