The US embassy in Canberra formally objected to Australia's draft digital duty of care laws, which would require tech platforms to let users opt out of content algorithms or face fines. The submission argued vague definitions of 'harm' could enable viewpoint-based censorship, suppress independent journalists, and affect users globally, not just in Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking during a US visit, defended the laws as returning control to individuals rather than governments.
bbc.co.uk
· 2026-09-23
Adam Mosseri told an Australian press briefing that Instagram users who switch to a chronological feed instead of the algorithmic one see engagement drop by roughly 50%, with satisfaction scores dropping sharply too. He made the comments as Australia weighs a Digital Duty of Care bill that would require platforms to prompt users to disable ranking algorithms.
thenextweb.com
· 2026-09-11
Australia's government unveiled proposed legislation that would require social media platforms to let users over 16 choose whether their feeds are shaped by algorithms or simply show content from accounts they follow. The bill also mandates protections for children against harmful content, including material promoting eating disorders, misogyny, pornography, crime and dangerous stunts, and covers apps, games and AI chatbots with addictive design features. Companies that fail to comply could face fines up to AU$109.2 million.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08
The Albanese Government has released draft legislation for a Digital Duty of Care, requiring social media platforms to notify users and let them choose between algorithm-curated feeds or feeds based only on accounts they follow. The rules would also force games, apps and AI chatbots to shield under-18 users from addictive design features and harmful content such as material promoting eating disorders, misogyny, pornography, dangerous stunts or serious bullying, while giving eSafety power to order removal of nudify apps and sites.
pm.gov.au
· 2026-09-08
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