Governments globally have found social media a prickly beast to deal with, as it's provided those not usually afforded a voice in the mainstream media with a platform and an audience where they can express opinions, without being filtered through editorial departments prior to posting.
This has meant that online criticism of government has been rife. And the key Australian politician who's been expressing umbrage about the ability of online critics to convey their political opinions has been defence minister Peter Dutton.
Last April, online critics reported having received letters from his legal representatives. The minister then successfully sued refugee advocate Shane Bazzi over labelling him a “rape apologist”. And Dutton has further suggested establishing a legal fund for politicians to pursue defamation cases.
