ISTANBUL

Tesla chief Elon Musk invited criticism and sparked a debate by labeling the Australian government as "fascists" in reaction to proposed laws targeting intentional misinformation on social media, according to local reports.

The suggested regulations could impose fines of up to 5% of annual revenue on social media firms for failing to address intentional falsehoods propagated on their platforms.

Musk, the owner of social media site X, replied to a discussion about the initiatives with a succinct comment: "Fascists."

Officials from the Australian government quickly criticized Musk's statement. Government Services Minister Bill Shorten remarked: "When it's in his commercial interests, he is the champion of free speech, when he doesn't like it, he's going to shut it all down," as reported by SBS News.

Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones termed Musk's comments "crackpot stuff," underlining the government's obligation to safeguard its citizens from digital dangers.

The legislation, if enacted, would grant the federal government the authority to penalize tech giants such as X and Meta for disseminating misinformation on their platforms.

This episode has rekindled friction between Musk and Australian officials, emphasizing the ongoing global discourse regarding the regulation of social media content.

In April, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese referred to Musk as an "arrogant billionaire" amid a dispute over whether footage of a church stabbing in Sydney should be displayed on X.