Social media to get referee

AUSTRALIA is poised to become the first country in the world to get an independent referee for social media disputes.

And the woman tipped to take the role says action is urgently needed to protect Aussie consumers and small businesses from growing “harm”.

The Digital Platforms Ombudsman, one of 23 recommendations proposed after an inquiry by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, could fight problems such scams, identity theft, fake reviews, censorship, and advertising dramas. But industry experts warned taking tech giants to task in Australia could be difficult and an ombudsman would need enforcement powers to avoid becoming a “paper tiger”.

In its report, the ACCC recommended Australia’s Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman take on the task of refereeing complaints and disputes with digital platforms from both consumers and small businesses.

Ombudsman Judi Jones said her initial investigation had uncovered clear evidence many Australians were not getting justice on issues encountered on platforms such as Facebook, Google and Twitter.

“In my view, there’s nowhere for consumers to go,” Ms Jones said.

“At the moment, there is no external dispute resolution service apart from the courts.

“Having an independent third party to go to when you can’t resolve an issue would be helpful.”

Issues identified by the ombudsman included consumers being impersonated, scammed and hacked on social networks, and small businesses struggling to have negative comments and reviews removed.

Ms Jones said a digital platforms ombudsman could not only serve to judge the complaints, but could also order content be removed, demand compensation for small businesses which suffered a “business loss” as a result, and identify widespread scams.

Swinburne University social media major director Dr Belinda Barnet said users would welcome help from a digital platforms ombudsman.

But she warned careful consideration was needed to give the scheme enough powers over the global companies to avoid it becoming a “paper tiger,” and that tech giants may resist Australia’s move.