Australia mandates algorithm opt-out for users 16+, fines platforms over A$100m

Australia is moving to strip social media platforms of their most powerful tool: the algorithm that decides what billions of people see. Under draft legislation unveiled this week, users aged 16 and older will be able to switch off algorithmic feeds entirely, seeing only posts from accounts they have deliberately chosen to follow. Platforms that refuse to comply face fines exceeding A$100 million.

The initiative, branded "my feed, my way," represents a fundamental shift in how the government thinks about digital power. Rather than letting Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and others determine what content flows into users' feeds based on engagement metrics and behavioral prediction, the law would hand that choice back to individuals. When users log in, they will be prompted to select their preferred feed type—algorithmic or chronological—and platforms must honor that selection.

But the legislation goes further than algorithm control. It establishes what regulators are calling a "digital duty of care" that applies to anyone under 18. Social media companies, online games, apps, and AI chatbots will be required to actively protect children from specific categories of harm: pornography, content that promotes or accelerates eating disorders, misogynistic material, content glorifying crime or life-threatening stunts, and posts designed to cause serious psychological distress through abuse or bullying. The eSafety Commissioner, Australia's online safety regulator, will have authority to issue removal notices and require platforms to document what steps they have taken to address these harms.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese framed the move as a rebalancing of power. "This is not about giving government control, it is about giving people control," he said, dismissing concerns that major tech companies might retaliate against Australia for the restrictions. He acknowledged that opposition would come—the Liberal and National parties have already warned against what they characterize as internet censorship—but argued the trade-off was worth it. "We're taking power from big global tech companies and giving it to ordinary Australians," Albanese said. "That is what we are doing. It's the right thing to do."

Communications Minister Anika Wells added that technology companies have operated without meaningful oversight for too long, using Australian users as subjects in continuous, unregulated experiments with their products. She positioned the new laws as part of a broader global reckoning with Big Tech, noting that Australia had already led the way with social media age restrictions introduced in December, which other countries including France, Britain, and New Zealand are now adopting. However, research has shown that Australia's existing age verification system is only partially effective, suggesting that implementation challenges may lie ahead.

To pass the legislation, the Labor government will need support from the Greens in parliament. The political math is tight, and the ideological battle is real: conservatives argue the government is overreaching, while the government contends it is simply preventing platforms from weaponizing algorithms and exposing children to demonstrable harms. Albanese will present the plans at the United Nations General Assembly later this month, signaling that Australia sees this as a model for global regulation.