Canberra: Ever wondered why Instagram, TikTok or Facebook somehow knows exactly what will keep you scrolling? Australia is now proposing a law that could give users a way to break that cycle.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced proposed legislation that would require major social-media platforms to give users the option to opt out of personalised algorithmic feeds.
Under the proposed Digital Duty of Care rules, users aged 16 and above would be able to choose between receiving content selected by recommendation algorithms or seeing a feed based primarily on posts from friends, creators and accounts they have chosen to follow.
Right now, opening a social-media app usually means the platform's algorithm decides what appears in front of you.
Watch one video about a particular topic and suddenly your feed can become an endless stream of similar content.
Australia's proposal would give users another option: turn personalised recommendations off.
The government's proposed approach has been described as “My Feed, My Way” — essentially putting the user, rather than the recommendation algorithm, back in control of the feed.
Platforms would have to provide a clear mechanism for users to make that choice rather than simply burying it inside complicated settings.
The proposal is part of a broader attempt by the Albanese government to make technology companies more responsible for online harms.
The proposed legislation would require digital platforms to identify and manage risks associated with harmful content, including material linked to eating disorders, misogyny, pornography and dangerous behaviour.
Australia has already taken an aggressive approach to regulating children's access to social media, including restrictions on social-media accounts for those under 16. The new proposal extends that regulatory push from who can access platforms to how platforms decide what people see.
No.
That's the important distinction.
Australia is not proposing to make recommendation algorithms illegal. Platforms could continue using them — but users would get a choice.
Think of it as:
Algorithm ON:
“Show me what your system thinks I'll like.”
Algorithm OFF:
“Show me content from the people and creators I've actually chosen to follow.”
That could fundamentally change the experience of scrolling.
The proposed rules would also strengthen the powers of Australia's online-safety regulator.
Platforms that fail to comply could face penalties of around A$109 million, while the eSafety regulator would receive stronger enforcement powers.
The proposal is expected to go before Australia's Parliament later this year, meaning the announced framework is not yet law.
Supporters argue that users deserve greater control over the digital environments they spend hours in.
Critics, however, worry that giving governments greater power over online platforms could eventually lead to censorship or excessive regulation.
There is also a practical question: even if users are technically given an opt-out button, will platforms make that choice genuinely easy to access?
That question could become just as important as the law itself.
Australia's proposal represents a bigger debate about the internet's most powerful gatekeeper: the recommendation algorithm.
For years, platforms have largely decided what users see based on what is likely to keep them engaged.
Australia's message is now simple:
If the algorithm controls the feed, the user should at least have the right to say — “Not today.”
