By Kat Wong in Canberra

Australians could be better protected from lies spread online after misinformation laws came one step closer to passing.

But the protections face a difficult path through the Senate as one opposition politician likened them to something out of an Orwellian dystopia.

The federal government has vowed to crack down on misinformation and disinformation and on Thursday its laws passed the House of Representatives.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the bill was necessary for keeping Australians safe.

“This bill will increase the transparency and accountability of the actions of digital platforms … while balancing the freedom of expression that is at the very core of our democracy,” she said.

The proposed laws will give the Australian Communications and Media Authority power to monitor digital platforms and require them to keep records about misinformation and disinformation on their networks.

The watchdog would also be able to approve an enforceable industry code of conduct or introduce standards for social media companies if self-regulation was deemed to fail.

The coalition criticised the bill for limiting free speech, with Nationals MP Keith Pitt drawing comparisons to George Orwell’s seminal dystopian novel 1984.

“Will this end up in the equivalent of digital book burning because someone who is not an academic puts forward a view that the government of the day decides is unacceptable?” he said.

He added the easiest way to prevent bullying and false information online was to ensure internet users could not create fake accounts.

“Your digital online life is your real life,” Mr Pitt said.

“If you want to make comments, that’s fine, but it should be as you – as a verified account – so that everyone knows who it is that is making those comments, that you can be found and that you can be prosecuted.”

The new laws come as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced children under 16 would be banned from using social media.