No, Australian government has not declared George Soros a ‘global terrorist’

What is the claim?

A post circulating on social media falsely claims that the Australian government has designated Hungarian-American businessman George Soros as a global terrorist. Various users, including one on X (formerly Twitter), have shared this claim, with one post in Hindi stating, "Breaking news: Australia declared George Soros a global terrorist." Archived versions of these posts can be found here and here.

Screenshots of the social media posts. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

Soros, a billionaire investor and philanthropist, is known for his support of progressive causes through his Open Society Foundations. Due to his political donations and advocacy for democratic governance, he frequently becomes a target of misinformation, which often fuels conspiracy theories and attacks from opponents.

Our investigation reveals that the Australian government hasn’t listed Soros as a global terrorist. 

How did we find the truth?

We reviewed the list of designated terrorist organizations on the Australian National Security website, which includes 30 groups identified under the Australian Criminal Code. Neither Soros, his fund management company, nor his Open Society Foundations are listed. The list only includes organizations, not individual names.

While the list does not specify individuals, Australian law allows the foreign minister to designate persons or entities involved in terrorist activities. According to Resolution 1373, Australia, as a U.N. member state, must implement targeted financial sanctions against individuals involved in terrorism. We also examined the Australian government’s consolidated sanctions list and found no mention of Soros or his organizations.

News Agency Reuters contacted the Australian Attorney General’s Department, and a spokesperson confirmed that Soros is "not listed under any of Australia’s sanctions laws."

Logically Facts has previously debunked several false claims about Soros, available here.

The verdict

Social media posts claiming that Australia has declared George Soros a global terrorist are false. The government’s list of recognized terrorist organizations does not include Soros or any of his organizations.