The new initiative seeks to define social media giants as publishers, make them responsible for user-generated content on their platforms, as well as introduce special mechanisms through which anyone can file a complaint and if If they feel that they are being defamed, then they can demand the removal of the post. Tease or upset, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced during a televised press briefing on Sunday.

The online world shouldn’t be a wild west where bots and by and large and trolls and others are roaming anonymously and harming people.

If a platform refuses to remove the offending material, the court can order it to reveal the identity of the anonymous commenter. If the company again refuses or is unable to identify the troll - it will eventually be held liable and pay any resulting fines.

“Not allowing free speech to cowardly hide in your basement and sledge and try to harass people anonymously and destroy their lives,” Morrison said. “In a free society like Australia where we value our freedom of speech, it is only free when balanced with responsibility for what you say.”

Morrison gave little information about the details of the proposed legislation, or if it would be up for public debate, but said he expected strong support from parliament. He had earlier indicated an imminent crackdown on online anonymity during last month’s G20 summit, where he said “The rules that apply in the real world should apply in the digital world.” However, it is unclear how the Australian government expects social media companies to verify the identities of their users.

According to Attorney-General Michaelia Cash, the new measures are also going to bring more “clarity” Back in September for a decision by the High Court of Australia, which ruled that the media is liable for user comments, even if the stories themselves are not defamatory. The ruling forced several media, including CNN, to close their Facebook pages to Australian users at risk of uncertainty and defamation claims.