Reports and policy contributions
Regulatory Approaches to misinformation and disinformation in the Asia Pacific region
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of regulatory approaches to misinformation and disinformation, with a focus on the Asia–Pacific and, for comparison, on recent developments in Europe and the Americas. While all efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, the paper is not intended to be exhaustive.
Download the paper by clicking on the link below:
Information Disorder: lessons from Australia
This report offers an overview of the information disorder landscape in Australia from 2019-22. Drawing on the monitoring work undertaken by the First Draft APAC team, the report focuses on misinformation narratives that surfaced during the Covid- 19 pandemic, the 2022 federal election and recent Australian climate disasters.
It also explores a range of definitions used by practitioners, industry and regulators to help readers navigate the nuances of different conceptual approaches.
The report notes the progress Australian regulators and those abroad, industry associations and civil society organisations have made in the past years on tackling information disorder on social media. The development and effectiveness of different industry interventions is also discussed.
The report ends with recommendations for policymakers, news media and academics specific to the Australian landscape in the hope of cutting down harmful information that has a direct impact on people’s lives, health and safety. These will also serve as lessons for other countries facing similar issues.
Download the report by clicking on the link below:
Submission to the review of the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation (2022)
CMT made a submission to the review of the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation.
Discussion Paper on an Australian Voluntary Code of Practice for Disinformation (2020)
CMT was commissioned by DIGI (Digital Industry Group Inc.) to develop a discussion paper for public consultation on the development of the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation. The project included research into the nature and incidence of online disinformation and international regulatory responses. The discussion paper was published by DIGI in October 2020. It informed public consultation leading to the adoption of the code in February 2021.
First Draft
CMT was home to the Australian bureau of First Draft from 2019 until July 2022. First Draft was a global information verification unit whose work informed journalism for 7 years before dissolving in June 2022. First Draft’s research work continues at Brown University’s Information Futures Lab. First Draft’s reports, publications and other resources are available here.
