The Australian government on Tuesday unveiled proposed Digital Duty of Care legislation aimed at giving social media users aged 16 and above the power to opt out of personalised algorithmic feeds. Under the draft framework, digital platforms will be held legally accountable for the risks tied to their design architecture and operational practices. Users will receive the option to replace automated recommendation feeds with chronological content shared strictly by friends and creators they deliberately follow. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese noted that the system would ensure genuine control over what citizens view, warning that tech giants failing to meet their obligations face heavy enforcement measures.
Stricter Standards for Child Safety and Platform Design
A central focus of the proposal involves shielding minors from material that threatens their mental and social wellbeing. Tech companies will be mandated to prevent children from encountering content promoting eating disorders, misogyny, pornography, criminal activities, and dangerous stunts, alongside content capable of causing acute mental distress. The government stressed that platform responsibilities extend beyond content moderation to addressing addictive design features. The legislative remit will also encompass online games, mobile applications, and artificial intelligence-based chat tools to ensure their core features do not encourage excessive use or damage children’s self-esteem.
Substantial Fines Proposed for Non-Compliance
To enforce adherence among major multinational platforms, the government has set maximum financial penalties at 109.2 million Australian dollars, which converts to approximately 9,000 crore rupees. Officials maintained that severe penalties are essential to ensure tech corporations translate safety policies into verified operational standards. The proposed legislation builds upon existing online safety measures, notably the ban implemented last December that prohibited children under 16 from holding accounts on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
Regulator Broadens Scrutiny Across Major Tech Platforms
The legislative initiative comes amid escalating pressure from Australia’s online safety regulator, which confirmed in April that it was considering legal action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube for failing to adequately keep underage users off their platforms. If passed into law, the Digital Duty of Care legislation will create binding duties governing user feeds, algorithms, and child safety mechanisms. Canberra’s regulatory push is expected to serve as a benchmark for international governments working to control algorithm-driven systems and hold technology companies accountable for user safety.
