Australia's Labour government is preparing to introduce what it describes as world-first legislation designed to allow the country’s 21 million social media users to opt out of platforms' content-recommending algorithms.
The proposed "digital duty of care" legislation is expected to be presented in the Australian parliament this week. If enacted, it would mandate platforms such as X and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook to provide Australian users with the option to disable algorithms that customise content recommendations to individual tastes.
This initiative is distinct from the government’s existing Online Safety Amendment Bill, which seeks to reinforce current regulations concerning the ban on social media access for individuals under the age of 16.
Under the new proposals, users would be able to opt out of social media algorithms through pop-up messages. Communications Minister Anika Wells told ABC News that companies would also be required to identify and manage risks present on their platforms.
The Anthony Albanese government is considering opt-out functionalities that would enable users to configure their social media feeds to display content exclusively from accounts they choose to follow.
Ms Wells stated that the draft rules are intended to prevent the spread of illegal content on social media and mitigate the risk of exposure to harmful behaviours, such as content related to eating disorders, particularly among young people. For children, the new laws also aim to pinpoint approximately six additional categories of "psycho-social harm," including content associated with body image issues and bullying.
Breaches of the proposed law could result in significant fines for platforms, estimated at around $72 million (A$100 million).
However, Australia’s opposition has voiced scepticism regarding the effectiveness of the new rules and raised concerns about potential censorship. Opposition leader Angus Taylor remarked, "I am deeply sceptical. I fear that this is going to be an attempt by the government to censor social media, but as I say, we haven't seen it."
Mr Taylor added, "What we want to see is parents having more control over what their kids get to see on social media; we will wait and see this legislation."
Questions remain about how Australia intends to implement and enforce the new regulations. Independent research has previously indicated challenges in enforcing existing digital safety measures; for instance, despite Australia’s world-first laws banning under-16s from social media platforms enacted last December, a majority of children in the country were reportedly still accessing their accounts as of July.
Professor Tama Leaver, an expert in internet studies from Curtin University, emphasised the importance of transparency in compliance. Writing in The Conversation, Dr Leaver stated, "What matters most with the digital duty of care is ensuring social media platforms are forced to be transparent about their compliance."
Dr Leaver further suggested that the proposed digital duty of care laws might include provisions for the eSafety Commissioner and researchers to investigate and assess companies' efforts to adhere to the new regulations.
