The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has ruled that posts by social media influencer Abbie Chatfield do not qualify as political content that requires an authorisation statement. Chatfield, who boasts over 532,000 Instagram followers, recently shared three videos interviewing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and highlighted Labor’s Medicare policies while criticising the Liberal Party’s healthcare record in her captions.
In addition to her interactions with Albanese, Chatfield collaborated with Greens party leader Adam Bandt on a joint ‘VOTE’ DJ event in Melbourne. During their joint appearances, she complimented Bandt as “an incredible leader” and encouraged her audience to place the Liberal Party last on their voting preferences.
This development caught the attention of Coalition senator Jane Hume, who questioned whether the AEC would be investigating the nature of Chatfield’s collaborations with Albanese and Bandt, especially during the budget estimates week. Hume also brought up concerns about potential payments for the influencer’s posts, a claim that Chatfield has denied.
Under Australian law, political content must feature an authorisation message stating whether it represents an opinion or endorsement of a political candidate, whilst traditional news media is exempt from this requirement. The AEC clarified that for content to necessitate such an authorisation, it must seek to influence voting intentions, be classified as paid advertising, or be disseminated on behalf of a politician or political party.
The AEC concluded its investigation into Chatfield’s posts, asserting that no authorisation was needed. They stated that while Chatfield’s podcasts could be interpreted as attempting to sway voter decisions, there was no evidence of any financial gain from including Albanese or Bandt as guests. Furthermore, they noted that the invitations extended to both leaders were voluntary and that questions asked during the interviews originated from the podcast’s audience rather than being influenced by external parties.
As political campaigning for the federal election intensifies, leaders are increasingly seeking to leverage social media influencers to extend their reach and convey their messages to the public.