Australia is moving ahead with sweeping new online safety laws that would place greater responsibility on technology companies for harmful content while giving social media users the ability to opt out of algorithm-driven feeds.
The Federal Government is introducing its Digital Duty of Care legislation to parliament today, covering major social media companies, search engines and other online platforms.
Technology companies would be required to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm to children, including exposure to pornography, eating disorder material, dangerous stunts, abuse and content promoting extreme violence.
For adults, the duty would focus on serious harms already covered by criminal law.
Algorithm opt-out included
One of the most significant provisions would allow Australians to opt out of recommendation algorithms used by social media companies to determine what appears in their feeds.
The government has also removed a controversial proposal that would have allowed the communications minister to independently designate new categories of harmful content.
Future additions would instead require parliamentary approval.
Professional journalism and news content will receive specific protection following concerns that the original rules could unintentionally restrict legitimate reporting.
Companies breaching the regime could face penalties exceeding A$100 million.
The legislation represents another major escalation in Australia’s effort to regulate global technology platforms after years of debate over privacy, misinformation, artificial intelligence and child safety.
The underlying principle is increasingly clear: online platforms could be required to meet safety obligations similar to those imposed on companies operating in other industries rather than leaving users responsible for protecting themselves.
