{
  "id": 6379338,
  "title": "Trump slams Australia’s social media crackdown as ‘extortion’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/trump-slams-australias-social-media-crackdown-as-extortion",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T04:16:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3366867/trump-slams-australias-social-media-crackdown-extortion"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Donald Trump has criticized Australia's latest efforts to regulate social media, calling it \"a form of extortion\". The Australian government, however, maintains that its new measures are aimed at protecting users, particularly minors. The \"My Feed, My Way\" initiative, announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, allows Australians to opt out of social media algorithms. The government is also considering a mandatory \"digital duty of care\" law, which would require tech companies like Meta Platforms, Google, and TikTok to protect users from harmful content. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to A$100 million. Australia's stance on digital regulation has drawn the ire of the US, with Trump warning against such measures.",
  "summary": "US President Donald Trump has condemned Australia’s recent moves to clamp down on social media – predominantly run by American tech companies – as “a form of extortion”, hinting at more threats to come. “President Trump has unequivocally warned trading partners against imposing digital services taxes, fines, and other forms of extortion on America’s leading technology sector,” White House…",
  "key_points": [
    "Trump calls Australia's social media crackdown 'extortion'",
    "Australia's My Feed, My Way initiative lets users opt out of algorithms",
    "Proposed digital duty of care law could fine tech companies up to A$100 million"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The clash between Trump and Australia's government over social media regulation signals a widening divide between US and Australian approaches to balancing user protection with tech industry interests.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}