‘We’re regulating the machine, not the message’: Australian minister hits back at censorship claims

Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells defended planned online safety legislation that is due before parliament on Oct. 15, according to a Politico report published Oct. 11. Wells's remarks were presented as a response to claims that the planned legislation constitutes censorship. In defending the plans, she said: 'we're regulating the machine, not the message.'

Wells also warned that AI chatbots are coming for children's emotional attachment, according to the report. The report presents the defence of the legislation against censorship claims and the warning about chatbots and children as part of the same set of remarks. It describes Wells as hitting back at censorship claims ahead of the legislation's introduction before parliament on Oct. 15. The report does not name the legislation or list its provisions.

The report does not identify which parties made the censorship claims, does not state what the legislation would require of AI chatbot providers, and does not describe penalties, enforcement bodies, or definitions of the systems covered. It also does not state the text of the legislation or whether it has been published. The report identifies Wells by her portfolio as communications minister and locates the matter in Australia's parliament, with the legislation due on Oct. 15. 11, and the article identifies its source as politico.com.