Australia to opt out of social media algorithms, Albanese confirms

Australians over the age of 16 would be able to opt out of social media algorithms under new legislation cracking down on pornography and the glorification of crime, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed.

“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 told reporters in Canberra.

“It gives users choice, and it will hold the big tech companies responsible for inaction. If they don’t follow our laws, they will face significant penalties of more than $100 million.”

Labor released the first draft of its Digital Duty of Care laws on Tuesday. Communications Minister Anika Wells said the reforms would allow Australians to choose between following a social media algorithm or “their following feed, their friends, and the content creators they’ve chosen to follow”.

Albanese said he was confident the laws – including the “My Feed, My May” algorithm initiative – would withstand any legal challenge.

“This is not about giving government control. It’s about giving people control.”

More to come

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