2026-04-02
The Greens welcome today’s release of a series of reports from the Office of Australia’s Chief Scientist and the National Science and Technology Council that examine how resilience to mis and disinformation can be strengthened in Australia.
The reports come a week after a Greens-initiated Select Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy found coordinated false and misleading information campaigns are infringing multiple human rights, dividing Australian communities, and hindering global progress on climate change by eroding public trust in climate science and influencing political outcomes.
Lines attributable to Greens spokesperson for Science, and Select Committee chair, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:
“The release of these reports helps progress a timely and critical national conversation, taking place alongside international conversations, on how governments can strengthen and protect our information ecosystems.
“The reports published by the Office of Australia’s Chief Scientist reinforce substantial evidence provided to the Select Committee regarding the urgent need for the development of a national, society-wide plan to address this wicked problem.
“Majority Select Committee recommendations – supported by Labor – for the Australian Government to adopt the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity and to endorse the UN Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change provide clear frameworks for how a national plan to strengthen our information ecosystem could be progressed.
“Australians have low literacy and understanding of mis and disinformation – what it is, why it happens, and how to recognise it. Especially the tactics and tools employed by various disinformation actors and vested interests.
“Report findings handed down by Australia’s Chief Scientist are consistent with many found by the Select Committee.
“Both reports found that certain social and traditional media outlets intentionally present biased or misleading information to appeal to specific audiences and that this may be done to drive user engagement and platform profits, while also amplifying inaccuracies.
“This doesn't just refer to the propagation of false or misleading information relating to climate change and energy, but also the deliberate manipulation of public discourse by multiple actors.
“Knowledge and information is power. When our information ecosystems are polluted by profit-driven tech platforms, fossil fuel corporations and other vested interests, this becomes an urgent and significant obstacle to the public’s ability to make educated and informed decisions.
“The Greens implore the Albanese government to act on the Select Committee's recommendations. This includes implementing legislative or regulatory reform to identify psychosocial harms caused by mis and disinformation, and placing the onus of addressing these harms onto digital platforms while monitoring the effectiveness of their mitigations through regulatory and civic oversight.