Australia to introduce draft law allowing users to turn off social media algorithms

Draft legislation on digital feeds

Australia will propose legislation this week that allows citizens to turn off recommendation algorithms on social media platforms. Communications Minister Anika Wells announced the policy on Monday, explaining that the draft bill establishes a statutory digital duty of care for technology companies. The measure requires platforms such as Meta, Google, and TikTok to provide Australian users with direct options to disable automated recommendation feeds. The federal government intends to introduce the legislation before finalizing technical specifications, seeking expert advice on whether users will opt in or opt out of algorithmic content delivery by default. Wells noted that many users appreciate algorithmic delivery for entertainment or discovering local suburban businesses, but argued that commercial platforms must provide a genuine alternative.

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

Enforcement and corporate obligations

Under the proposed framework, technology companies that fail to provide operational tools to switch off algorithms will face substantial financial penalties. The legislation targets algorithmic delivery systems that have faced scrutiny for alleged addictiveness and for pushing sensational or extreme material to increase scrolling time. Wells emphasized that large technology enterprises will no longer operate without standard consumer protections, describing them as entities that must adhere to basic safety benchmarks. The minister stated on Channel Nine's Today show that the primary goal is requiring companies to identify internal risks on their platforms and execute appropriate mitigations.

This isn't about censorship. This is about identifying risks or making big tech identify the risks on their own platform and making big tech mitigate against those risks on their platform.

Opposition response and censorship concerns

The proposal prompted immediate pushback from federal opposition leaders who questioned the intentions and practical mechanics of the bill. Liberal Party leader Angus Taylor said the Coalition had not yet reviewed the specific text of the Labor government's draft legislation. Speaking to the ABC and News24, Taylor stated that he remained deeply skeptical of the policy, arguing that the intervention could amount to an effort by the government to censor social media. Taylor contended that the administration should prioritize resolving existing enforcement flaws in earlier digital safety laws before imposing new structural mandates on online services. Other opposition lawmakers expressed general support for giving consumers more feed autonomy, while warning against potential limitations on free speech.

I am deeply sceptical. I fear that this is going to be an attempt by the government to censor social media, but as I say, we haven't seen it. Let's see what the government comes forward with.

Existing age restrictions and usage data

The new algorithmic framework follows Australia's December ban barring children under 16 from social media platforms, an initiative that other nations including the United Kingdom and France subsequently adopted. Despite that prohibition, Wells acknowledged that Australian regulators have not issued any fines against technology companies for non-compliance. Research published in August indicated that the vast majority of under-16 users who held accounts prior to December continued to access platforms, with child usage of Instagram and TikTok actually increasing. Critics have cited these enforcement gaps in assessing whether the new algorithmic rules can be effectively implemented once the draft bill enters parliament later this week.