‘Good to have choice’: Australians on opting out of social media algorithms
'Good to have choice': Australians on opting out of social media algorithms. 'Good to have choice': Australians on opting out of social media algorithms'Good to have choice': Australians on opting out of social media algorithmsCloseAustralia is set to force social media companies to allow users to easily opt in or out of content recommended by algorithms when they log in.
What happened
Image caption, Anika Wells says social media companies should offer option to switch off algorithmsBySimon AtkinsonAustralia producerPublished7 September 2026Australians would be able to switch off social media algorithms under draft legislation to be proposed this week. "We want to give Australians more choice over what they see on their social media feeds," Wells told the ABC on Monday. The BBC spoke to people in Sydney about Australia's plans to force social media companies to allow users to easily opt in or out of personalised algorithms.
The BBC spoke to people in Sydney about how they feel about social media algorithms, and the Australian government's planned legislation. Photograph: Peter Cripps/AlamyAnalysisSocial media users could opt out of the algorithm if Australian government has its way – but that’s a big if Josh Taylor Even if the legislation passes, tech companies may still find ways to frustrate its intent and keep Australians hooked on their feedSocial media could become a “choose your own adventure” between the doom-scrolling status quo, or just the feed of the friends you want to see, if the government’s planned digital duty of care legislation passes, and the tech companies don’t muck around on compliance.
In a pointed intervention, the US government said the proposals to boost traditional media outlets in social media algorithms could “establish a template that authoritarian regimes could invoke to justify more control over online content”. Social mediaFollow Social mediaclose panelYou are now following Social mediaUpdates from your News topics will appear in My News and in a collection on the News homepage.
The wider picture
Communications Minister Anika Wells, who last year helmed the government's world-first social media ban for under-16s, said the digital duty of care laws would ensure "some basic safety protections on an industry that hasn't had to observe it". This means that, as with its social media ban, the government is looking to bring in legislation before fully hammering out the specifics of how it would work. "But she admitted that so far no tech firm had been fined for not enforcing the social media ban, despite research consistently showing that the vast majority of under 16s who were on platforms before the ban was introduced last December, still use them.
Taylor told News24 he feared this was "an attempt by the government to censor social media" and that Labor should first try to plug holes in the social media ban. "Last week, high-profile consent advocate Chanel Contos gave a speech at Australia's National Press Club calling on the government to seek an opt-in for algorithmic social media feeds, making it harder for tech firms to find a way round any reforms. Related topicsAustraliaSocial media regulation debateSocial mediaMore on this storyOnline gaming escaped Australia's social media ban – but critics say it's just as addictivePublished12 December 2025Australia's social media ban for children has left big tech scramblingPublished8 December 2025Australia has banned social media for kids under 16.
Skip to main contentSkip to navigation After the teen social media ban, the Australian government is going further in trying to reduce harm from social media by allowing users to opt-out of the algorithmic feed. For years people have complained about the random videos or posts cluttering their social media feeds as served to them by the tech giants.
What has been reported
Many of the perceived problems teens face on social media are also problems facing adults. While the social media ban was designed to combat the harms faced by under-16s, many of us know relatives who have been radicalised reading Facebook comments, or grandparents scammed out of their retirement money by fake investments they saw on social media. It was telling the prime minister pointedly thanked News Corp for its support for the social media ban in Tuesday’s press conference.
It’s not clear whether the “my feed, my way” proposal will enjoy similar levels of full-throated support in the newspapers as the social media youth ban had, particularly as it seems likely that other parts of the proposed law around combating online harms will face opposition from the Coalition and One Nation. But by framing it as “empowering people” Albanese is hoping it won’t be seen as the big arm of government coming in and determining what people see on social media.
Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty ImagesTrump administration attacks UK plans to boost traditional media on social platformsUS embassy says Downing Street’s plan to give BBC, ITV and other established media more online visibility carries risk of ‘censorship’The Trump administration has raised “serious concerns” over Downing Street’s plan to force YouTube and other digital platforms to hand more prominence to established broadcasters, warning the move risks “facilitating censorship”. Social media companies have previously been sceptical about artificially boosting the prominence of traditional media, arguing that it goes against the principle of creator content.
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What happens next
Skip NavigationMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPolitics & PolicyVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenuKey PointsAustralia plans to force social media firms to enforce an "opt-out" feature for algorithm-based feeds. It's the latest blow to big tech after Meta just settled for $18 billion in a social media harms trial. Grichka Beysson-leandri | Afp | Getty ImagesAustralia plans to give social media users the ability to switch off algorithm-based feeds in proposed legislation, making the latest move by governments and regulators to rein in Big Tech this year. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government said Tuesday that it's proposing the "My Feed, My Way" initiative, which would force social media platforms to allow users over the age of 16 to either opt into having a feed that recommends personalized content by an algorithm or "opt out," so they can only see content from friends and creators they choose to follow.
Social media companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 109. It's about putting choice back into the hands of Australians online," Albanese said at a press conference on Tuesday regarding the proposed law. Several social media platforms already let users separate content they see from friends and people they know, in some capacity.
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, theguardian.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.