Australians will be able to switch off social media algorithms under planned legislation

BySimon Atkinson Australia producer.

Key points

• Speaking to Channel Nine's Today show, Wells remarked: This isn't concerning censorship.
• If tech firms such as Meta, Google and TikTok did not offer the option to turn off algorithms, they should face "substantial" penalties, she stated.
• Some members of the opposition have criticised the proposal, with Liberal Party leader Angus Taylor saying he was "highly sceptical" and arguing the move could amount to censorship.
• "We want to give Australians more choice over what they see on their social media feeds, " Wells informed the ABC on Monday.
• She argued algorithms were fuelling the prevalence of sexual violence in Australia and exposing young individuals to misogynistic "manosphere" material.

Australians would be able to switch off social media algorithms under draft legislation to be proposed this week.

Communications Minister Anika Wells. This person last year helmed the government's world-first social media ban for under-16s, remarked the digital duty of care laws would ensure "some basic safety protections on an industry that hasn't had to observe it".

For context, the administration will be taking "expert advice" on whether users would have to opt in or out of the algorithms feeding them content online, Wells stated.

As with its social media ban, the administration is looking to bring in legislation before fully hammering out the specifics of how it would work, this means that.

We know that a lot of Australians appreciate the algorithm both for the enjoyment they obtain out of it or the utility that they secure out of it, seeing local businesses in their suburb.

A lot of Australians will want to choose the algorithm. But we think that major tech should offer them the choice in the first place and they should respect that choice.

"Big tech is not a protected species and they should offer their customers basic safety standards."

But she admitted that so far no tech firm had been fined for not enforcing the social media ban, despite research consistently showing that the vast majority of under 16s who were on platforms before the ban was introduced last December, still employ them.

Some members of the opposition have remarked they backing the idea in principle, but others argue it is an attempt to curtail freedom of speech.

Taylor informed News24 he feared this was "an attempt by the government to censor social media" and that Labor should first try to plug holes in the social media ban.

Speaking to Channel Nine's Today show, Wells remarked: "This isn't concerning censorship. This is regarding identifying risks or making sizeable tech identify the risks on their own platform and making major tech mitigate against those risks on their platform."

Last week, high-profile consent advocate Chanel Contos offered a speech at Australia's National Press Club calling on the administration to seek an opt-in for algorithmic social media feeds, making it harder for tech firms to find a way round any reforms.

Meanwhile, the draft legislation is projected to be introduced over the next few days. As well as addressing algorithms, it is additionally anticipated to put an onus on platforms to stop harmful content, such as illegal pornography and videos promoting disordered eating, from being shared.

Taken together, the developments around australians will be able to switch off social media algorithms under planned point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.