Australia is set to give social media users aged 16 and above the option to switch off algorithm-driven feeds under proposed new laws aimed at strengthening online safety and giving users greater control over the content they see.
Under the plan, dubbed “my feed, my way”, users who opt out of personalised algorithms would see posts only from people, pages and groups they have actively chosen to follow.
Users would be asked to select their preferred default feed through a pop-up message on their chosen social media platform.
Social media companies that fail to comply with the new requirements could face fines of more than A$100 million.
Australia targets harmful online content
The proposed measures would form part of broader legislation establishing a digital duty of care for social media users under the age of 18.
The rules would require online services, including games, apps and artificial intelligence chatbots, to take measures to protect children from specific forms of online harm.
The types of content covered would include pornography, material promoting or encouraging eating disorders, misogynistic content, material glorifying crime or life-threatening stunts, and content that causes serious mental health distress, including abuse and bullying.
Australia’s online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, would have the power to issue removal notices to social media companies.
Platforms would also be required to document the measures they take to address online harms.
Albanese: ‘Giving people control’
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to highlight the proposed reforms at the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month.
“This is not about giving government control, it is about giving people control,” Albanese said.
He also dismissed concerns that the measures could trigger retaliation from major technology companies and their owners, several of whom have close relationships with US President Donald Trump.
The Labor government will need the support of the Greens to pass the legislation through Parliament. The main opposition parties, the Liberals and Nationals, have indicated that they oppose the measures, warning against what they describe as attempts to censor the internet.
“Of course there will be opponents, because what this is about is changing the power relationship,” Albanese said.
“We’re taking power from big global tech companies and giving it to ordinary Australians. That is what we are doing.”
‘Global reckoning’ for big tech
Communications Minister Anika Wells accused technology companies of having been allowed to conduct what she described as “real-time, unregulated product testing” on Australian users for too long.
“There is a global reckoning coming for big tech,” Wells said. “And it started here in Australia, with the introduction of our world-leading social media minimum age laws.”
The legislation is expected to be introduced to Parliament before Christmas. However, it is likely to undergo a lengthy public inquiry and negotiations before it can be passed.
Greens seek tougher safeguards
Greens communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said the proposed legislation should apply a lower threshold for determining online harm and impose penalties based on a percentage of a platform’s global revenue.
“Opt out is not acceptable,” she said.
Hanson-Young argued that an opt-out system could leave room for technology companies to manipulate the rules or find ways around them.
She called for stronger safeguards to ensure the legislation was “watertight”.
Tech industry welcomes user choice
DIGI, a technology industry lobby group representing companies including Meta, Snapchat and Google, defended recommendation algorithms, saying they could help users discover diverse content.
The group said it recognised concerns within the community about how recommendation systems operate and welcomed discussion about their role in online safety.
“We support an approach that gives people meaningful choice and control over the content they see, while managing safety risks,” a DIGI spokesperson said.
Campaigner Chanel Contos, founder of Teach Us Consent, described the proposed reforms as a positive first step.
“This reform sends the right message to Big Tech,” she said. “You cannot introduce harmful features into our digital lives without asking for our consent first.”
Tom Mooney, campaign director at Democracy Counts, an alliance of organisations concerned about democratic institutions in Australia, also backed greater user choice.
He said access to common facts and a diversity of views was essential because social media had become a major source of news for Australians.
“Social media is where the majority of Australians get their news, where many people spend hours each day,” he said. “It is common sense to require platforms to give users choice over those experiences.”
Australia leads global debate on social media
Australia’s proposed algorithm opt-out rules come as other countries consider tougher restrictions on children’s use of social media.
France, the UK and New Zealand are among the countries following Australia’s lead in introducing or considering social media restrictions for children.
However, expert research has suggested that the systems introduced in Australia in December have so far been only partly effective, highlighting the challenges governments face in regulating social media and protecting children online.
Source: The Guardian
