The Australian Senate set up an investigative committee to consider the possibility of foreign political intervention through social networking platforms.

The investigation committee was formed by the Australian Senate after the government supported this proposal of the opposition Labor Party. "Increased fake news and information disturbance campaigns pose an existential risk to democracy not only in Australia but globally," Labor MP Penny Wong said.

"We must protect democracy from foreign agents," he added. The investigation is expected to report results in May 2022, when Australia will hold its next general election.

The investigation comes amid concerns that China is increasingly interfering with Canberra issues and after US intelligence experts accused Russia of using social media to influence the results of the US presidential election. 2016.

Australia did not specifically address which countries were a threat to them, but it has stepped up inspections of suspected interventions conducted by China in recent years.

China has denied trying to influence Australia politically, accusing its government of applying the "Cold War mentality".

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull named China to intervene in its internal affairs when enacting a new law, requiring lobbyists working for foreign governments to register and possibly be prosecuted if found to intervene in Australia's internal affairs in 2017.

In September, Australian intelligence identified China as the culprit of a cyber attack on parliament and its three largest political parties. In the wake of a series of cyber attacks on universities, Australia last month also demanded that universities announce financial transactions with foreign universities.