Trump administration to confront Australia over Labor’s social media algorithm plan
Trump administration to confront Australia over Labor’s social media algorithm plan. Photograph: Annabelle Gordon/EPATrump administration to confront Australia over Labor’s social media algorithm planWhite House warns trading partners against ‘imposing digital services taxes, fines, and other forms of extortion’ on US tech sector Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our new political email, free app or daily news podcast The Trump administration will confront Australia over its plan to force digital platforms to take down harmful content and let users opt out of algorithm-generated “for you” feeds.
What happened
“But if people want to have a change, then this will provide them an opportunity. ”Explore more on these topicsInstagramMetaFacebookAustralian politicsNews CorporationSocial networkingnewsShareReuse this contentMore on this storyMore on this storyHow one woman’s Tesla was remotely controlled – and used to harass her – by an abusive ex-partnerTrump administration to confront Australia over Labor’s social media algorithm planNDIS data may have ended up in Palantir’s analytics platform as part of efforts to curb fraudThe Orwellian machinery critics are desperate to protect is the algorithms, not laws that seek to reduce harmLabor wants Australians to be able to opt out of online algorithms.
White House warns trading partners against ‘imposing digital services taxes, fines, and other forms of extortion’ on US tech sectorFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastThe Trump administration will confront Australia over its plan to force digital platforms to take down harmful content and let users opt out of algorithm-generated “for you” feeds. Big tech companies would be fined more than $100m for breaching the proposed laws and the Australian government is under pressure to raise those fines even further. Continue reading. . .
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.
The BBC spoke to people in Sydney about how they feel about social media algorithms, and the Australian government's planned legislation. “If you want to believe that the moon landing was fake, it is in no way impacted by the digital duty of care. ”Explore more on these topicsSocial mediaAustralian politicsAustralian foreign policyDonald TrumpSocial media banDigital medianewsShareReuse this contentMore on this storyMore on this storyAlbanese says ABC ‘should do better’ after it revealed his membership of golf club given $6m grantHow one woman’s Tesla was remotely controlled – and used to harass her – by an abusive ex-partnerAustralia considers new Israel sanctions but won’t join UK in banning trade with ‘settler terrorists’The US now has access to more than half Australia’s military bases – could it drag the country unwillingly into war?
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. How will it change your feed? ‘Global reckoning for big tech’: Australia to force social media platforms to allow users to opt out of algorithmsFull StoryHow much control should we have over the algorithm? – Full Story podcastCanberra ‘put on notice’ as AI-generated submissions bring false information into parliamentary inquiriesAI chatbot helps teach online-only psychology classes at Macquarie UniversityMost viewedMost viewed
The wider picture
'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. These games, in line with the Trump administration’s wider social media and communications strategy, are culture-war shitposting. The US administration will raise concerns about Australia’s big tech company fines over online algorithms.
Labor wants Australians to be able to opt out of online algorithms. Having riffed on Halo and Pokémon in social media ads last year, inviting potential ICE recruits to “stop the flood” and “catch ’em all”, this time the administration has ripped off a series of recognisable games. Members of the original Halo team were moved to speak out on social media after the White House posted a picture of Trump as Master Chief last year; I wonder if Sega will have anything to say about this trailer, which opens with a digital chorus singing “Magaaaa”, soundtracking the sorry collection with music that sounds a lot like Sonic’s Green Hill Zone.
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A White House spokesperson, Kush Desai, said the US administration would raise its concerns with “trading partners”, in a statement released less than 24 hours after Australia’s announcement on Tuesday.
What has been reported
NDIS data may have ended up in Palantir’s analytics platform as part of efforts to curb fraudWhite Australia party is ‘modern manifestation’ of Nazi movement and should be banned, commonwealth tells high court Full StoryCould the US drag us unwillingly into war? – podcastAndrew Hastie accuses Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce of being ‘lying cowards’ over One Nation ‘traitor’ cartoonThe Orwellian machinery critics are desperate to protect is the algorithms, not laws that seek to reduce harmBlanche d’Alpuget wasn’t just Bob Hawke’s wife.
For years people have complained about the random videos or posts cluttering their social media feeds as served to them by the tech giants. Guardian Australia was first reporting these issues back in 2024, conducting experiments with blank phones set up to be young men, with very little other information to go on and to see what the algorithms pushed into our feeds. 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.
What happens next
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. It’s just the latest in a series of attempts from Trump’s administration to use video game memes and imagery to further its messaging. “Activists who shaped the Gamergate movement have become an established part of the political right … Until now, it seemed to be restricted to social media posting.
The water symbolises Victoria's ‘tsunami of debt’ said to be endangering key services and childrenAlarming AI ads are flooding social media in the lead-up to Victoria’s election. These are some of the AI-generated images being used as part of a social media advertising campaign attracting thousands of views less than 100 days out from the Victorian election. When asked by Guardian Australia whether he is still a member of the Liberal party, Rozner declines to answer but says: “I’ve been around for a long time – and my views and affiliations are well-known. ”Rozner says Fix Victoria is an “issues-driven, not politics-driven” organisation that wants to “ensure our leaders know that everyday Victorians want a plan to get out of the mess we are currently in”.
The group had been attacking Labor, Greens and independent candidates. skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionTransparency International Australia’s chief executive, Clancy Moore, says while Fix Victoria does not meet the legal threshold of a third-party campaign group, its ads are “clearly trying to influence voting”.
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across theguardian.com, bbc.co.uk. 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.