Australians could soon have greater control over their social media feeds, with new reforms set to give internet users the option to switch off algorithm-driven content.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled draft legislation on Tuesday that would establish a new digital duty of care for online platforms.
A key part of the proposal, branded by the government as My Feed, My Way, would require social media companies to offer users clearer tools for shaping what appears in their feeds.
If passed, the changes would allow Australians to choose between a feed curated by an algorithm and one focused on posts from friends and people they follow.
‘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,’ Albanese told reporters in Canberra.
‘This isn’t about government decision-making. This is about empowering people. And so, we hope that that produces good outcomes.
‘If people want to doomscroll, as you call it, that’s fine. That’s up to them.
‘But if people want to have a change, then this will provide them with the opportunity.’
Australian internet users will be given the choice to opt out of algorithms under reforms to social media
Social media companies will be also required to protect people from harmful content online.
Harmful content will conclude the promotion of eating disorders, misogynistic content, pornography or things that glorify crime.
Companies could face fines of $100 million if they don’t enact the duty of care.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the duty of care would build on the world-leading ban on social media for under-16s.
‘The digital duty of care is not about controlling adults online. It is about giving adults a choice,’ she said.
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‘Tech companies can still move fast, but they will no longer be allowed to break things because online harms have real-world consequences.
‘There is a global reckoning coming for big tech.’
It follows the government looking to pursue stronger penalties for social media companies as part of measures to bolster the under-16s ban.
Wells (pictured) rejected the notion that the legislation was about censorship of the internet
Wells rejected suggestions th proposed online safety reforms would allow regulators to police political commentary or so-called misinformation, insisting the measures are focused on safety rather than censorship.
Asked whether the legislation could empower the Australian Communications and Media Authority or the eSafety Commissioner to regulate political views online, Wells said it was ‘not about censorship.’
‘It is about giving people control over what they see online,’ she said.
The minister said the reforms would introduce ‘basic safety standards’ and place obligations on technology companies to identify and mitigate risks on their platforms.
‘The focus is on harms caused by systems, tools and features,’ Wells said.
She said the proposed framework would primarily target illegal content for adult users, including ‘child sexual exploitation material’, ‘child abuse material’, ‘extreme violence’, ‘sexual violence’, ‘menacing, threatening or harassing conduct’, and ‘terrorism and violent extremism material’.
Wells said the reforms were also designed to give users greater control over their online experience.
‘Aside from illegal content, the reforms are about choice,’ she said.
Under the proposal, adults would be able to disable algorithmically recommended feeds and instead view content from accounts and creators they actively choose to follow.