Australia Proposes Law Letting Users Opt Out of Social Media Algorithms

Australia opened public consultation on September 8 for a draft "digital duty of care" law that would require social media platforms to give users the option to turn off algorithmic recommendations and see only content from accounts they follow. According to Sina Finance, the proposal comes after a social media ban for users under 16 took effect in December last year. The draft would require platforms to add a "my feed, my choice" feature so users can limit what appears in their feeds. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation is not intended to censor the internet, but to "give Australians back control online." Communications Minister Anika Wells said the European Union has already acted to limit the impact of algorithmic feeds, but Australia’s approach would differ by explicitly requiring companies to protect users’ right to opt out of algorithmic recommendations rather than merely offering alternative feeds. The bill would also require companies to protect users under 18 from harmful content and addictive features in online games, apps, and AI chatbots, building on the existing social media ban for minors. It would give Australia’s eSafety Commissioner the power to issue takedown notices for "nudify" apps and websites, which have been used to generate intimate images without consent. Companies that violate the rules could face fines of up to 109.2 million Australian dollars, or about $79 million. In recent years, concerns over the lack of protection for children on social media and the addictive features driven by recommendation algorithms have increased regulatory pressure on tech companies worldwide. Meta previously agreed to pay $18 billion to settle lawsuits by several U.S. states over alleged failures in child protection and social media addiction.