Australia to Introduce Option for Social Media Users to Opt Out of Algorithmic Recommendations

Australia is preparing a bill that would let social media users decide whether to see algorithmic recommendations in their feeds.

Australia to Introduce Option for Social Media Users to Opt Out of Algorithmic Recommendations

Bill Overview The proposed legislation requires platforms to notify users that they can choose to see only content from accounts they follow, rather than algorithmically curated suggestions.
User Choice Users would be able to toggle a setting that disables algorithmic feeds, ensuring that their timeline displays only posts from followed accounts.
Child Protection Measures The bill targets children under 18, mandating that digital services avoid design features that could negatively affect younger users.
It also obliges platforms to take reasonable steps to remove accounts belonging to users under 16.
Legal Obligations and Penalties Companies that fail to remove under‑16 accounts will face fines up to 49.5 million Australian dollars, aiming to increase accountability for child safety.
Impact and Goals By empowering users to control their feeds and tightening child protection, the legislation seeks to reduce the harmful influence of algorithms and inappropriate content on young audiences.

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