Draft legislation enforces digital duty of care including limiting children’s exposure to misogynistic and eating disorder content
Australia will allow social media account holders to opt out of the powerful algorithms pushing dangerous and divisive content into users’ feeds, part of new laws designed to boost online safety.
Users over 16 years of age will be given new tools to turn off algorithm-driven content, with platforms facing fines of more than A$100m for non-compliance.
Under the plan – dubbed “my feed, my way” – users opting out of the algorithm will see content only from individuals and groups they have actively chosen to follow.
Users would be asked what they want their default feed to be through a pop-up message provided on their platform of choice.
New laws designed to provide a digital duty of care for social media users under 18 will also require services such as online games, apps and AI chatbots to protect children from specific harms.
They will include pornography; content that promotes, encourages or accelerates eating disorders; misogynistic content; content that glorifies crime or life-endangering stunts; and content that causes serious mental health distress, including abuse and bullying.
The regulator, the eSafety commissioner, will have the power to issue removal notices to social media companies, with platform operators required to document measures taken to address online harms.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is expected to highlight the plans at the United Nations general assembly in New York later this month.
“This is not about giving government control, it is about giving people control,” he said.