Australia targets social media algorithms with new user-choice rules

Australia targets social media algorithms with new user-choice rules Australia is now planning to target social media users' algorithm with new user-choice rules. According to Reuters, Australia on Tuesday proposed giving social media users the option to select the content they see on their feeds, marking the next step in the government's push to improve online safety, following its world-first social media ban for children. Under draft laws proposed by the centre-left Labor government, social media platforms will be required to notify users and offer them a choice over their default feed. Users can choose to opt in to having their default feed include personalised content recommended by an algorithm. Alternatively, they can opt out of algorithmically recommended content and instead see posts only from the friends and creators they ⁠choose to follow. 'Sensible and practical reform' Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the new proposed plan to give users control over feeds. He told reporters, 'This is sensible, pragmatic, practical reform. It gives users choice and it will hold the big tech companies responsible for inaction if they don't follow our laws." Albanese said the "My Feed, My Way" initiative would also require digital platforms to document the measures taken to address identified risks of harm to ⁠Australian users and ensure those measures remain effective over time. Australia follows in the footsteps of the European Union's Digital Services Act, which has since 2024 required platforms to offer users the option of switching off profiling. However, the rollout had a bumpy start, with regulators complaining that platforms did not make it simple enough for users to opt out. Social media ⁠companies face growing scrutiny around the world over concerns that algorithms have been designed to encourage addictive behaviour, with users drawn into prolonged viewing through recommendations that push them toward similar content.