Australia has proposed a new law that would allow social media users to opt out of the platforms’ algorithms. It’s a potentially far-reaching step that deepens regulatory efforts around the world to rein in Big Tech and limit online harms.
Social media users in Australia will be able to block content suggested by algorithms and instead cherry-pick the material they want on their feeds under the Labor government’s Digital Duty of Care Bill released on Tuesday.
Australia’s proposal opens up a new domestic battle with Meta Platforms Inc., owner of Instagram and Facebook, TikTok and other platform operators. The world’s first social media ban on under-16s, which came into force late last year, was quickly followed by governments around the planet enacting similar restrictions.
Meta declined to comment on Australia’s proposal, while representatives from TikTok and Snap Inc. did not immediately respond to emails.
Regulators are increasingly cracking down on what they see as addictive platform designs. Last month, Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion in landmark settlements to resolve social media claims by US states.
Key parts of the deal require the company to install new guardrails on its platforms, including limiting the amount of time young people can scroll through content and prohibiting them from turning off certain safety settings without parental consent.
“There have been several seismic events over the past few weeks,” Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells said at a news conference on Tuesday. “This is our contribution.”
The “duty of care” approach aims to force tech companies to make their products safe by design, placing new burdens on the operating models of major platforms. Violations of the proposed Australian law could result in fines of up to A$109.2 million ($79 million), according to the government.
The European Union is investigating claims that Meta products are addictive in children as the bloc steps up regulatory pressure on the US social media company.
While implementation details are still unclear and will be critical to assessing the potential impact, Australia’s move appears to be “a continuation of a trend rather than an entirely new innovation”, said Ewen Lusty, a partner at Singapore-based policy and regulatory consultancy Flint Global.
“There is a global shift underway towards governments seeking to empower users and give them greater control over how they interact with digital services, including the ability to limit elements of personalization,” he said. “Digital services are also taking important steps to give users more granular control over their experience.”
The Australian bill would require platform owners to send notices to new and existing users, offering them a choice over the default channel.