Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018
Australian federal statute
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 (Cth) (FITSA) is an Australian statute that creates a registration scheme for foreign agents in Australia.
| Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Parliament of Australia | |
| |
| Enacted by | Parliament of Australia |
| Enacted | 28 June 2018[1] |
| Considered by | Australian Senate |
| Assented to | 29 June 2018[1] |
| Legislative history | |
| Initiating chamber: Parliament of Australia | |
| Introduced by | Malcolm Turnbull |
| First reading | 7 December 2017[1] |
| Second reading | 26 June 2018[1] |
| Third reading | 26 June 2018[1] |
| Revising chamber: Australian Senate | |
| First reading | 27 June 2018[1] |
| Second reading | 27 June 2018[1] |
| Third reading | 28 June 2018[1] |
| Status: In force | |
FITSA is modelled on the American Foreign Agents Registration Act; when he introduced the bill that would become FITSA in Parliament, then–Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described it as an "improved version" of the American statute.[2] The statute was part of a "package" of legislation aimed at countering foreign influence in Australia that the Turnbull government advanced beginning in December 2017.[3][4] When drafting the bill, the Turnbull government worked closely with the United States Department of Justice.[5] It was amended substantially following criticism from civil society groups that argued the original provisions would stifle freedom of speech.[6]
FITSA received royal assent on 29 June 2018.[7] It requires anyone who engages in lobbying or "any kind of communications activity for the purpose of political influence" on behalf of a "foreign principal"—a term that includes foreign governments and some other organizations—to register with the federal government, and imposes criminal penalties for failure to do so.[3]
In April 2023, a Sydney businessman, Alexander Csergo, was charged under the law for passing information about AUKUS to agents of China's Ministry of State Security.[8] In December 2023, former Liberal candidate and prominent fundraiser Di Sanh "Sunny" Duong became the first person to be criminally convicted for violations of the law.[9][10] In July 2025, a third person was charged under the law for covertly collecting intelligence for China's Ministry of Public Security.[11]
Further reading
- Barker, Cat; McKeown, Deirdre; Murphy, Jaan (16 March 2018). "Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill 2017 and Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (Charges Imposition) Bill 2017". Parliament of Australia.