Australia’s Draft Legislation on Algorithmic Feeds
Australia has proposed draft legislation, the Digital Duty of Care bill, which aims to require social media platforms to display recurring prompts offering users the option to switch off algorithmic feeds. The exposure draft, released this week, carries penalties exceeding A$100 million for non-compliance.
Key Points:
- Currently, few jurisdictions mandate platforms to offer an opt-out from recommendation systems, and those that do, don’t enforce it prominently. Australia’s bill takes a different approach by mandating recurring prompts.
- The Digital Services Act in Europe provides a similar right, but doesn’t require its display. Australia’s draft legislation would place the choice front and centre for users on a regular basis.
Political Landscape:
The politics surrounding this issue are divided:
- One side argues against "insidious psychological manipulation" by recommendation algorithms while expressing concerns about government censorship.
- The other side advocates for stronger user control, with some preferring an opt-in model rather than the proposed opt-out system.
Existing Australian Online Safety Measures:
Australia has been building a robust online safety framework, but its effectiveness remains to be seen. Challenges include:
- Under-16 social media ban: The enforcement of this measure has been inconsistent.
- Fines and regulator powers expansion: Despite initial efforts, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube have been found non-compliant with existing regulations.