This Orwellian bill is almost North Korean
David Robertson
Date posted: 1 Aug 2023
The Australian government is proposing a ‘Combating Misinformation and Disinformation Bill’.
The negative effect of this on society, democracy and the Church could be considerable. The bill requires social media companies to remove any speech that causes harm to Australians' health, to the environment or any economic or financial harm. In other words, the government is giving itself carte blanche to censor any view it does not like, as being harmful. Anyone who is critical of transgender, or government policy on climate, or abortion, or even some religions, could be considered guilty of hate speech and causing harm.
news in brief
Iran: pastor’s wife bailed
Anahita Khademi , the wife of a Church of
Iran leader, has been released on bail after
spending over three weeks in prison. She
was released after posting bail equivalent
to about $4,000, but still faces charges
of
‘propaganda against
the system’ and
‘disturbing public opinion’.
Ms Khademi was arrested days after her
husband, Pastor Matthias Haghnejad, was
seized, together with two other Christians.
Haghnejad remains in prison on charges of
‘acting against the security of the country
by
forming
a
group
and
propagating Christianity’.