Government reveals exactly how social media algorithm opt-out will work

Australians could soon be able to choose to opt out of social media algorithms as the federal government revealed how its proposed legislation would work.

Communications Minister Anika Wells on Wednesday introduced the digital duty of care bill, which aims to protect users from harmful content online and expand the powers of the eSafety commissioner, to parliament.

“Australia’s digital duty of care will set basic safety standards for the online services we use every day, just like we have in every other industry,” she told the National Press Club.

“We must shift the burden from the shoulders of victims to the companies that are creating the environments where harms occur.”

Wells laid out four principles of the package, with the first being a requirement for companies to allow users to opt out of the algorithm and send a notification about the new choice.

Companies must also keep the choice in place every time the app is opened, not make social media feeds harder to navigate once a user opts out, and make the tool easy to use and prominently available.

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Wells said the principles will address some of the malicious compliance that the companies have participated in overseas.

“It’s up to them to test the brakes on the car and the bolts on the swings at the park,” she said.

The legislation was introduced after the government removed a criticised clause that would have granted the communications minister of the day discretion of what constitutes harmful content.

The bill may be sent to an inquiry when it passes the Labor-dominated House of Representatives and reaches the Senate, where the government needs the Greens or the Coalition’s support.

It could still pass by the end of the year if Labor wins the Greens over.

Wells said she is negotiating in good faith with the minor party and is considering one of their requests to allow individuals to sue companies if they have experienced harm.

If passed, there will be a 12-month transition period until the new rules come into effect.

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Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said there were several issues with the legislation.

“This legislation is a blank cheque for political censorship by the minister and/or the eSafety commissioner and that’s completely and utterly unacceptable,” he said.

“The thing about this Labor government is they always think they know better than Australians. They know what we should be able to read and see. They know what’s good for the economy.”

Taylor said the government should instead focus on making the under-16s social media ban work.