Australia proposes law requiring social media platforms to offer algorithm switch

Australia's government has introduced legislation that would require social media companies to let users turn off recommendation algorithms and switch to chronological feeds showing posts from accounts they follow, as part of a broader Digital Duty of Care bill.

The proposed legislation aims to give users greater control over the content they see online, following accounts from people who say recommendation systems have exposed them to harmful material, says the BBC.

Varsha Yajman, 24, said she began receiving frequent workout and calorie-restriction videos at the age of 13, aggravating her anorexia.

"I was like, 'I don't need to eat. I can just watch other people eat'... I would find that I'd be down these really deep rabbit holes... it was like no matter how hard you tried to get out, you couldn't."

Flynn Martin, 24, said social media recommendations had directed him towards misogynistic content during a period of poor mental health, before he was hospitalised for psychosis.

"You find yourself in like a bit of an echo chamber... It's easy to get swept up in that... I really bought into the idea we were living in this matrix... And the only way to break out of it was becoming this alpha male character."

Campaign calls for greater control over feeds

Consent education activist Chanel Contos launched the Fix Our Feeds campaign, which collected more than 15,000 signatures calling for users to be able to turn off recommended feeds.

Contos said platforms' commercial incentives encouraged them to promote emotionally engaging material to keep users online.

"The result is that they promote content that is outrageous or that invokes strong emotions from people - so it might be anger or fear or desire or lust or insecurity, whatever it is, it's going to keep us scrolling."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation was intended to give users control rather than expand government authority over their online activity.

"This is not about giving government control, it is about giving people control. If people want to doom scroll… that's fine, that's up to them."

The bill would target technology companies rather than individual users, with potential fines of up to A$100 million for non-compliance.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said the proposed law would change who was responsible for addressing harm associated with online platforms.

"...shifts the onus of responsibility from the shoulders of victims onto the shoulders of the big tech operators who seek to make money off Australian users."

Debate over addiction and free speech

The proposed legislation faces opposition from some political figures and technology industry representatives, who argue that mandatory changes to recommendation systems could lead to excessive content moderation and restrictions on free speech.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri has disputed claims that algorithm-driven platforms cause clinical addiction, saying the term was often used more loosely in everyday conversation.

"I think we conflate the way we colloquially use the word 'addicted' – like, 'I'm addicted to this show, and I'm binge-watching it' – and clinical addiction."

EU experience raises implementation concerns

Australia's proposal follows requirements under the European Union's Digital Services Act, introduced in 2023, which require platforms to provide options that do not rely on profiling-based recommendation systems.

Academic researcher Chris Zomer said some platforms had made those alternatives inconvenient to use, potentially discouraging users from switching away from algorithmic feeds.

"Platforms do what the law orders, but in such a clunky way that users don't actually enjoy the option and stick with the default, algorithmic experience."

Under the approach described by Zomer, Instagram users switching to non-algorithmic feeds faced restrictions on direct messages and profile access, while the app reverted to the default feed when reopened.

Australian regulators intend to require chronological feeds to retain their full functionality and remain active after users select them.

Users divided over switching off algorithms

Polling indicates a generational divide in attitudes towards the proposed option. Two-thirds of Generation Z users plan to keep their algorithmic feeds enabled, while nearly half of the Australian public overall would choose to turn them off.

Martin acknowledged that entertainment remained a central reason people used social media.

"at the end of the day we use social media as a form of entertainment"

Even so, the option to disable recommendations could provide reassurance to users who are concerned about their exposure to harmful content.

Yajman said the ability to opt out would be particularly valuable during periods when she felt more vulnerable to such material.

"On a bad day I'm still susceptible to all of the things that I was at 17. To know that, if I'm having a bad day, I can opt out makes me feel really good."