The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has called for new restrictions on speech about climate change, urging regulation to curb what it labels “misinformation” and “false narratives.” In its submission to a Senate inquiry led by the Greens, the AHRC argued that misinformation undermines trust in science, delays urgent climate action, and threatens the “right to a healthy environment.” Critics, however, warn that such measures would effectively silence climate skeptics and restrict legitimate debate, framing dissenting voices as dangerous rather than part of a free and open discussion. As James Bolt of Sky News Australia points out, the implication is clear: elites don’t trust ordinary people to discern truth from falsehood on their own.

The AHRC insists its recommendations aim to balance environmental protection with free expression, but its proposals lean heavily toward greater oversight. Among its suggestions are stricter transparency rules for digital platforms, independent research into disinformation campaigns, expanded digital literacy programs, and even legislation for an AI Act to regulate how information spreads online. While the commission stresses the need to protect human rights, opponents argue this approach risks turning free speech into a casualty of climate policy. The debate underscores a growing global trend: using the fight against “misinformation” as justification for censorship, raising the question of whether governments should be trusted to decide what people can read, hear, and believe.

SOURCE: The Expose