Australia is preparing new laws that could give social media users a direct choice over how their feeds are controlled by algorithms. The federal government is expected to introduce a Digital Duty of Care framework that would require platforms to offer users an option to switch off personalised algorithmic recommendations.
What Is the Social Media Algorithm Opt-Out?
Under the proposed system, social media platforms would regularly ask users whether they want to continue receiving algorithmically selected content or switch to a simpler feed based mainly on accounts they choose to follow.
Today, platforms use signals such as viewing habits, interactions, interests, demographics and location to decide what appears in a user’s feed. The system is designed to keep content relevant—and users engaged.
Critics argue that the same mechanisms can also amplify sensational, extreme or harmful material.
Australia’s proposed social media algorithm opt-out would give users more control over that process rather than leaving personalised recommendations permanently enabled by default.
Digital Duty of Care Targets Online Harm
The algorithm proposal is part of a wider Digital Duty of Care, which would shift greater responsibility onto social media companies.
Platforms would be expected to identify risks, reduce foreseeable harm and prevent certain illegal or harmful material from being distributed. For younger users, the framework would address additional areas of psychosocial harm, including bullying and body-image-related content.
Companies could face penalties exceeding A$100 million for serious breaches, according to the proposed framework.
The approach represents a significant change: instead of relying primarily on users to report harmful content after encountering it, platforms would have greater responsibility to anticipate and reduce risks.
Why Algorithms Are Under Pressure
Social media algorithms have increasingly come under scrutiny because they can create highly personalised content loops. A user who interacts with a particular type of material may quickly receive more of it, potentially creating an increasingly narrow information environment.
Advocates have therefore pushed for stronger user control.
The Greens have separately proposed an opt-in approach, where algorithmic feeds would be turned on only after a user actively agrees. A private member’s bill introduced by Senator Sarah Hanson-Young already seeks to give users the ability to opt out of recommended content.
The government’s proposal is expected to trigger debate over where to draw the line between protecting users and allowing platforms to personalise experiences.
What Happens Next?
The federal government’s exposure draft is due to move into Parliament this week, beginning the next stage of debate over Australia’s regulation of social media algorithms.
The key question will be whether an opt-out switch provides enough protection—or whether Australia eventually moves toward a stronger opt-in model.
