X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk is not happy about a proposed legislation in Australia that tackles misinformation spread on social media. In fact, Musk replied to a tweet talking about the Australian government's place and simply said, "Fascists."

The X owner has long referred to himself as a champion of free speech. In 2022, he tweeted, "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means."

What the Legislation is All About

The proposed legislation that caught Musk's ire calls for social media platforms to be fined for not controlling the spread of misinformation online. According to the report by The Guardian, fines can reach up to 5% of the platform's annual turnover. 

Reuters adds in its own report that the proposed legislation will require platforms to set up a code of conduct to attempt the spread of misinformation. This code of conduct must be approved by a regulator. 

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Australian Politicians React

According to the Reuters report, a spokesperson for Communications Minister Michelle Rowland simply said that companies that operate in Australia must abide by the country's laws. 

 Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten on Channel Nine's breakfast show, "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."

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones has also reacted to Musk's comment, saying "For the life of me, I can't see how Elon Musk or anyone else, in the name of free speech, thinks it is OK to have social media platforms publishing scam content, which is robbing Australians of billions of dollars every year."

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