Protecting Against Pseudo-Legal Disinformation through Law and Technology

This report discusses the challenges posed by disinformation and misinformation in Australia and proposes solutions to address these issues. Existing laws regulating harmful speech are limited in that they do not effectively address the social harms caused by disinformation and misinformation. Recognising the limitations of regulating speech through platforms’ policies and processes, the report proposes that government should authorise courts to exercise some of the powers currently performed by platforms. It recommends that legal reform should recognise the serious harms of pseudo-legal disinformation and that accurate and explainable technological tools for detecting and analysing disinformation campaigns should
be developed for courts.