NSW Labor runs Instagram disguised as news source
NSW and Victorian Labor run Instagram accounts. They look like independent news. But they promote party messages.
NSW Labor runs an Instagram account called nswnewsroom. The account looks like independent news but is actually party-run.
The account promotes Labor messages while hiding party branding in its bio. Victorian Labor runs a similar account called vicnewstoday.
Australian political parties are increasingly using this tactic. This includes the Coalition and Climate 200.
Unpaid social media posts avoid the approval rules. These rules apply to paid political ads.
An expert says the accounts use a huge loophole in Australian political communication law. People who get most of their news from social media may not know these posts are party propaganda.
- nswnewsroom on Instagram
- NSW account
- vicnewstoday on Instagram
- Victorian account
- First posted two weeks ago
- Account launch
Why it mattersVoters could be misled by posts that look independent. They are really party propaganda.
AustraliaAustralian voters face deceptive political messaging on social media that exploits gaps in electoral law, making it harder to spot when they're seeing party messages disguised as neutral news.
