Australia calls for global action to fight online misinformation

FILE PHOTO: Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne arrives as G7 foreign ministers meet at Lancaster House in London, Britain, May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia on Friday called for governments around the world to agree on "rules of the road" to fight the spread of misinformation and state-backed disinformation online.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said blocs like the Quad group - the United States, India, Japan and Australia - and global bodies like the United Nations were already working to strike a balance between harmful content and free expression online.