Remember when social media was filled only with posts from your friends, rather than what an algorithm decided you wanted to see? So does the Australian government, and it wants that internet back.
Yesterday, the government released draft legislation outlining a Digital Duty of Care. The proposal includes a measure that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labeled “My Feed, My Way.” It would allow Australians over 16 to switch off the algorithmic feed that social media platforms deliver automatically to users, instead allowing them to see content from friends and creators they choose to follow.
This legislation, which is expected to reach Parliament before Christmas, would force platforms to send notifications to both new and existing users asking them to choose between the two types of feed. Platforms would then have to respect that choice unless the user changed it.
The feed controls are grabbing the headlines, but the Digital Duty of Care also includes protections for users under 18. Digital services, including social media, online games, apps, and AI chatbots, would have to protect under-18s from harmful content and design features that could negatively affect their behavior or self-esteem.
