Could I ask you about Twitter? The most recent report of Twitter suggests that some 74 per cent of the misinformation about the current conflict in Israel and Palestine on X, formerly Twitter, has actually come from verified accounts—blue-tick accounts. Are you aware of any of the research that shows the extent of the misinformation being shared on Twitter?
Senator SHOEBRIDGE: Could I ask you about Twitter? The most recent report of Twitter suggests that some 74 per cent of the misinformation about the current conflict in Israel and Palestine on X, formerly Twitter, has actually come from verified accounts—blue-tick accounts. Are you aware of any of the research that shows the extent of the misinformation being shared on Twitter?
Ms Inman Grant : Misinformation is not within our remit. That’s within the remit of the ACMA.
Senator SHOEBRIDGE: What about hate? What about the issuing of hate speech and online hate?
Ms Inman Grant : We issued a regulatory action in June of this year against Twitter/X around online hate. We’ve asked them a number of questions, ranging from their terms of service to how verified or Twitter blue accounts might be protected or even have their content amplified, and a range of questions about their trust and safety people and operations. We’ve given them a number of extensions. We just received the last extension, I believe, last week, and we’re considering the information they provided us, and when we reach a conclusion then we will put out a report and determine whether any action should be taken.
Senator SHOEBRIDGE: When you say ‘received the last extension’, do you mean that the last extension expired and the last information was supplied last week?
Ms Inman Grant : Yes.
Senator SHOEBRIDGE: Do you have a time frame for when you expect a response from Twitter? And could you provide, briefly—because I know I’ve run out of time—the options that would be available to you in response?
Ms Inman Grant : As you know, through the most recent, the second set of notices we’ve issued at Twitter with a service provider notification and infringement notice—so, we have that present process going. They had 28 days from the time we issued the infringement notice to pay or to not pay, and we have a range of options there. We will have those same options available to us if they don’t comply with this particular notice, in addition to a range of other potential courses of action.
Senator SHOEBRIDGE: They’re potential fines in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars?
Ms Inman Grant : Yes, initially. If they decline to pay or we fail to withdraw an infringement notice that they petitioned to do so and it goes to the court, then, depending on what the court finds, they can fine them over $700,000 a day from the time at which they’re out of compliance with the notice.