Australians would be able to switch off social media algorithms under draft legislation to be proposed this week, giving users more control over what they see online.
Communications Minister Anika Wells, who last year helmed the government’s world-first social media ban for under-16s, said the digital duty of care laws would ensure “some basic safety protections on an industry that hasn’t had to observe it.”
If tech firms such as Meta, Google, and TikTok did not give the option to turn off algorithms, they should face “substantial” penalties, Wells said.
How It Would Work
The government will be taking “expert advice” on whether users would have to opt in or out of the algorithms feeding them content online, Wells said. This means that, as with its social media ban, the government is looking to bring in legislation before fully hammering out the specifics of how it would work.
“We want to give Australians more choice over what they see on their social media feeds,” Wells told the ABC on Monday. “We know that a lot of Australians appreciate the algorithm both for the enjoyment they get out of it or the utility that they get out of it, seeing local businesses in their suburb.”
“A lot of Australians will want to choose the algorithm. But we think that big tech should offer them the choice in the first place and they should respect that choice. Big tech is not a protected species and they should offer their customers basic safety standards.”
The Opposition
Some members of the opposition have criticised the proposal, with Liberal Party leader Angus Taylor saying he was “highly sceptical” and arguing the move could amount to censorship. Taylor told News24 he feared this was “an attempt by the government to censor social media” and that Labor should first try to plug holes in the social media ban.
Speaking to Channel Nine’s Today show, Wells said: “This isn’t about censorship. This is about identifying risks or making big tech identify the risks on their own platform and making big tech mitigate against those risks on their platform.”
The Broader Context
Last week, high-profile consent advocate Chanel Contos gave a speech at Australia’s National Press Club calling on the government to seek an opt-in for algorithmic social media feeds, making it harder for tech firms to find a way round any reforms. She argued algorithms were fuelling the prevalence of sexual violence in Australia and exposing young people to misogynistic “manosphere” material.
The draft legislation is expected to be introduced in the coming days. As well as addressing algorithms, it is also expected to put an onus on platforms to stop harmful content, such as illegal pornography and videos promoting disordered eating, from being shared.
The Social Media Ban
Wells admitted that so far no tech firm had been fined for not enforcing the social media ban, despite research consistently showing that the vast majority of under-16s who were on platforms before the ban was introduced last December still use them. The government’s approach to regulating social media has been characterised by ambitious legislation followed by ongoing challenges in enforcement.
The Bottom Line
Australia plans to introduce legislation giving users the ability to switch off social media algorithms. Tech firms like Meta, Google, and TikTok would face penalties if they did not offer the option. The opposition has criticised the proposal, arguing it could amount to censorship. The government says the move is about safety and choice, not censorship. The draft legislation is expected in the coming days and would also address harmful content.
