The White House has sent a shot across the bow over Australia’s latest move to clamp down on social media as “a form of extortion.”In the White House’s first formal reaction to Australia’s threat of big fines for tech companies, the administration has hinted there may be more to come in the US government response.Be the first to know when news breaks. Download our new appPrime Minister Anthony Albanese has signalled a “global reckoning” for big tech under a new digital duty of care policy announced this week.The “my feed, by way” initiative aims to give users more control over the algorithms – the systems that shape what people see online.Tech companies could face fines of up to $100 million under the changes prompting the White House to raise concerns.“President Trump has unequivocally warned trading partners against imposing digital services taxes, fines, and other forms of extortion on America’s leading technology sector,” White House economics spokesman Kush Desai said overnight.“The administration remains committed to raising these issues with our trading partners.”The US President has a famously complex relationship with social media after Meta suspended Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. He even threatened Mark Zuckerberg with prison time during the 2024 campaign.The US President was also suspended from X after January 6 before Elon Musk purchased the platform and reinstated Mr Trump’s account in November 2022.Mr Musk later went to work for the US administration although Mr Trump’s own engagement with social media remains largely focused on his platform, Truth Social.Australia’s big move follows concerns that the ‘manosphere’ is pushing anti-women content at young boys and encouraging eating disorders among young girls.“We’ll require social media platforms provide user empowerment tools that give people over the age of 16 genuine and enduring choice about what they see in their feeds,” Mr Albanese said.“We have an opportunity to shape technology for the better rather than let it shape us. That is what our reforms are all about.”Communications Minister Anika Wells said tech companies said there was digital duty of care owed to Australians.“There is a global reckoning coming for big tech,” she said.“With our digital duty of care we are taking the next step forward by requiring tech companies take responsibility for the harms that their products, tools and features are causing.“What this will look like in real life as a user is that the platform will have to offer you the option: ‘What would you like your default primary feed to be? Would you like it to be the algorithm, or would you like it to be your following feed?” she said.“So, the friends that you follow, the content creators that you choose to follow, you as a user will have to be offered that choice.“Then, obviously, you’ll have the ability to make that choice over and over, as much as you want to change your mind through the platform.”Supporters of the changes include Chanel Contos’ Teach Us Consent and proponents of the News Corp Australia’s Let Them Be Kids campaign.“This is an example of change from the bottom up. My government listening and acting,” Mr Albanese said.Teach Us Consent founder Chanel Contos said the reforms were “a great first step”.“It shows the government has heard what Australians have been telling us for months. We demand and deserve control over what we see online,” she said.“We’re looking forward to working closely with the government to ensure this commitment holds up in the drafting.”