Australia Proposes Law Letting Social Media Users Opt Out of Algorithms

What changed

Based on NBC News World’s report, Australia’s government proposed Digital Duty of Care legislation on Sept. 9 that would require social-media platforms to notify users over 16 and let them choose between algorithmic recommendations and a feed of followed friends and creators. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said noncompliance could draw penalties of up to A$109.2 million (US$78.6 million); the proposal is not yet law.

Why This Matters

This is a small button with potentially large consequences: the default feed decides whether a post reaches you because you chose its author or because software predicted you might pause. Australia’s proposal would make that choice explicit, and durable, rather than leaving it buried in settings.

The recommendation feed would remain available. But a followed-account feed could make the simple act of following someone more meaningful again. That changes the bargain for creators, publishers and businesses that depend on being found: a direct relationship may matter more than winning another turn of the algorithmic roulette wheel.

How the effects could spread

If the proposal becomes law and platforms build a usable followed-account option, some users may choose it. Content from accounts they already follow could then have a more direct route into their feeds.

That could push creators and organisations to work harder at earning and keeping follows. The chain breaks if most users retain personalised feeds, if the option is hard to use, or if the final law drops the requirement.

Impact assessment

• Users over 16: Mixed. A real choice could offer more control, but its value depends on whether the option is clear and persistent.
• Platforms serving Australia: Exposed. They may need product changes, notifications and broader child-safety and behavioural-design controls, with substantial stated penalties at stake.
• Creators and followed-account publishers: Mixed. A chosen-following feed could strengthen direct audiences, but only if users select it in meaningful numbers.

Scenarios

Our outlook (informed speculation): the most plausible near-term result is a visible Australian feed-selection flow, if the government carries the proposal into enforceable rules while preserving the notification requirement.

Most likely: If rules advance substantially as described, platforms could add a choice between personalised recommendations and followed accounts within six to 12 months, while directing compliance work toward child-safety and design controls. Users who prefer chosen accounts may shift part of their viewing there; personalised feeds would remain for those who opt in.

Upside: If the followed-account option is simple and widely used, creators could place greater value on retaining direct followers. That may shift effort toward building durable audience relationships rather than relying solely on recommendations.

Downside: If broad duties and enforcement risk remain close to the proposal, platforms may prioritise Australian compliance across social services, games, apps and AI chatbots. Some local feature work could be delayed or constrained while those safeguards take precedence.

What to watch next

• Whether final legislation retains the notification and default-feed choice.
• Whether platforms offer both new and existing Australian users the two feed options.
• Whether Australia’s online safety watchdog moves ahead with court action over alleged under-16 access on major platforms.