Andy Chalk reports:
South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson has backed away from a law requiring internet users to provide their real names and other information when commenting on the upcoming election, saying it will not be enforced and will be repealed immediately after the election.
The law, which actually came into effect on January 6 as part of a series of amendments to the state’s Electoral Act, requires internet users who post stories or comments related to the upcoming state election to provide their real names and postcodes. Although it’s quite clearly targeted at The Advertiser’s AdelaideNow website, the law applies to all Australian news sites, yet Atkinson claimed it doesn’t restrict free speech in any way.
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