Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced plans to label accounts affiliated with governments on its newly launched platform, Threads. This statement was made during an Australian inquiry focused on foreign interference.
Josh Machin, Meta’s head of public policy for Australia, emphasized the importance of labeling state-affiliated media and implementing fact-checking mechanisms during the Senate inquiry. He expressed the company’s intent to enhance these features swiftly.
This development follows the launch of Threads, a platform that many view as a competitor to Twitter, which took place less than a week ago.
In contrast, Twitter has been criticized for removing labels from government-affiliated accounts since Elon Musk acquired the platform in 2022, leading to concerns over media literacy among its users.
When asked whether major state-affiliated entities such as the Russian broadcaster RT or the Chinese Xinhua News Agency would receive appropriate labels on Threads, Machin responded, “that’s our aspiration.” He stated that any media violating the platform’s policies would be removed and highlighted the importance of implementing broader tagging functionalities.
Currently, Meta’s platforms, Facebook and Instagram, already indicate that RT and Xinhua are state-controlled media from their respective countries. However, when checked by Reuters, RT’s account on Threads did not display such a label, and Xinhua appeared to be absent from the platform altogether.
Australian Senator James Paterson raised concerns about Meta’s labeling strategies during the inquiry, criticizing Twitter’s decision to eliminate foreign government affiliation tags due to its implications for transparency.
Twitter declined to comment but has executives scheduled to attend the inquiry later on Tuesday.
Machin also expressed reservations about a proposed initiative in Australia that would empower the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to monitor and penalize social media companies for the dissemination of misleading information. While Meta supports enforcing an established industry code of conduct to proactively address false content, Machin indicated that the proposed legislation extends beyond mere enforcement, which he believes could risk misuse and potentially stifle legitimate free speech online.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
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