- Australia's government announced proposed laws on Tuesday that would require social media platforms to allow users over 16 to opt out of algorithm-based feeds.
- The proposed legislation includes penalties for non-compliance, which could reach up to 109.2 million Australian dollars ($78.6 million).
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the initiative aims to give users genuine choice about their feeds and hold big tech companies accountable for inaction.
- In December last year, Australia implemented world-first laws that ban children under 16 from holding social media accounts.
- In April, Australia's online safety watchdog considered court action against major platforms like Facebook and Instagram for failing to keep under-16s off their platforms.
Australia's government is set to empower social media users with new legislation allowing them to opt out of algorithm-driven feeds. Announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the proposed laws aim to enhance user control and protect children from harmful content.13
"We'll require social media platforms to provide user empowerment tools that give people over the age of 16 genuine and enduring choice about what they see in their feeds," Albanese stated.
The legislation mandates that social media platforms notify users about their options, allowing them to choose between personalized algorithmic content or a feed based solely on friends and creators they follow.
Penalties for non-compliance could reach up to 109.2 million Australian dollars ($78.6 million). This initiative follows Australia's previous world-first laws banning children under 16 from holding accounts on major platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which Albanese described as "world-leading." However, reports indicate that over 81% of Australian children still use age-restricted platforms three months after the ban.25
The proposed Digital Duty of Care legislation also aims to protect children from addictive design features in digital services, including online games and AI chatbots. Albanese emphasized, "This is not about giving government control. It's about giving people control. It's about putting choice back into the hands of Australians online."
The measures are part of a broader global trend to regulate big tech companies and ensure user safety online.
“The proposed Digital Duty of Care legislation would also require platforms to protect children from content promoting eating disorders and other harmful material. Penalties for non-compliance could reach 109.2 million Australian dollars ($78.6 million), and the bill follows Australia's world-first ban on under-16 social media accounts.”
NPR
CNBC
