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Australia will allow social media account holders to opt out of the powerful algorithms pushing dangerous and divisive content into users’ feeds, part of new laws designed to boost online safety.
Users over 16 years of age will be given new tools to turn off algorithm-driven content, with platforms facing fines of more than A$100m for non-compliance.
Under the plan – dubbed “my feed, my way” – users opting out of the algorithm will see content only from individuals and groups they have actively chosen to follow.
Users would be asked what they want their default feed to be through a pop-up message provided on their platform of choice.
New laws designed to provide a digital duty of care for social media users under 18 will also require services such as online games, apps and AI chatbots to protect children from specific harms.
They will include pornography; content that promotes, encourages or accelerates eating disorders; misogynistic content; content that glorifies crime or life-endangering stunts; and content that causes serious mental health distress, including abuse and bullying.
The regulator, the eSafety commissioner, will have the power to issue removal notices to social media companies, with platform operators required to document measures taken to address online harms.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is expected to highlight the plans 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,” he said.
Albanese dismissed concerns of possible retaliation by big tech platforms, and their owners, many of whom have close relationships with the US president, Donald Trump.
The Labor government will require the support of the Greens to advance the laws through parliament. The opposition Liberals and Nationals have flagged opposition, warning the government against efforts 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. It’s the right thing to do.”
The communications minister, Anika Wells, said tech companies had for too long been allowed to run real-time, unregulated product testing on Australian users.
“There is a global reckoning coming for big tech,” she 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, but will likely face a lengthy public inquiry and negotiations.
The Greens communications spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, warned the draft legislation should have a lower threshold for harm, and penalties for platforms should be a percentage of their global revenue.
“Opt out is not acceptable,” she said.
“Opt out is a recipe for big tech to manipulate and to get around it. They’ve got a lot of money, and we know that big tech will be looking for every crack, every possible workaround. So we need to tighten this up and make sure it is watertight.”
The Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, said Labor could not be trusted with “censorship powers”.
“Rather than trying to rig the algorithm, the government should focus on fixing the problems of too high prices, too much tax and too much migration.”
A spokesperson for DIGI, the lobby group representing tech companies including Meta, Snapchat and Google, defended algorithms as helpful to users seeking diverse content.
“We also recognise there is community concern about how these systems work and DIGI welcomes the discussion on the role of recommender systems in online safety,” they said.
“We support an approach that gives people meaningful choice and control over the content they see, while managing safety risks.”
Campaigner Chanel Contos, founder of Teach Us Consent, called the draft laws a good first step by the government.
“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 for Democracy Counts, an alliance of organisations concerned about the function of democratic institutions in Australia, said common facts and diversity of opinion was essential.
“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.”
Countries including France, Britain and New Zealand are following Australia in implementing social media bans for children, even as expert research showed the systems put in place in Australia in December is only partly effective.
