A Victory for Free Speech: Labor’s Backdown on Misinformation Bill Sparks Widespread Reaction

Senator Jenny McAllister said failure of the bill to pass meant the government would ‘not be in a position to help keep Australians safe.’

Icons of social media apps, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp, are displayed on a phone screen on Jan. 3, 2018. Yui Mok/PA

Labor’s withdrawal of the misinformation and disinformation bill due to lack of support has been met with relief by many, but questions about the government’s future direction remain.

Responding to the withdrawal, Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the legislation was a “scandalous attack on free speech, with censorship at its core.”