'Putting choice back': algorithm axing in the spotlight

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese introduced draft laws on Tuesday to establish a digital duty of care for tech giants, aiming to protect social media users from harmful content and addictive systems. The initiative, called My Feed, My Way, would require social media companies to provide tools for users to choose what they see in their online feeds, rather than defaulting to algorithm-driven feeds.

This is not about giving the government control, Mr Albanese stated, but about giving people control and putting choice back into the hands of Australians online. Companies could face fines of up to $100 million if they fail to enact the duty of care. The laws would build on Australia's existing ban on social media for under-16s and set basic safety standards for online tools and services, much like safety standards for cars, food, or appliances, Communications Minister Anika Wells said.

Despite concerns that the digital duty of care is not about controlling adults online, users can still choose to opt into their default feed or prefer a feed filled with their chosen friends, creators, and businesses. Greens communications spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young welcomed the announcement but urged the government to provide more than just announceables, such as an explicit opt-in or opt-out measure for algorithms.

Advocacy group Teach Us Consent founder Chanel Contos welcomed the draft legislation as a first step but cautioned against half-measures and urged the government to learn from mistakes made overseas, where mandatory opt-out legislation had loopholes that allowed social media platforms to comply maliciously.