Australian government's social media algorithm crackdown faces opposition

Labor’s plan to crack down on social media algorithms faces significant opposition in federal parliament, with the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, warning against efforts by the government to “censor” free speech online.

The communications minister, Anika Wells, is expected to release draft legislation creating a digital duty of care for social media users in Australia as parliament returns this week.

Among new rules being considered are functions requiring popular social media platforms to allow users to turn off algorithms controlling the content in their feeds, and to better identify problematic or illegal content to protect vulnerable users including children.

Labor wants to better protect social media users from being fed content that reinforces dangerous stereotypes and behaviours, including in areas around body image, women’s safety and child protection.

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Fines of more than $100m would be created for breaches, with new powers given to the eSafety commissioner and researchers to investigate compliance by big platforms.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is expected to spruik the plan at the United Nations general assembly in New York later this month.

Taylor told News24 on Sunday the government should focus on fixing problems with its under 16s social media ban before taking on new rules like the digital duty of care.

“I think everyone’s very disappointed at the way the government has implemented the initiatives to stop young Australians from getting access to social media,” he said.

“It’s something like a 4.4% reduction we’ve seen, which is just immaterial in the scheme of things. What we want to see is parents having more control over what the kids get to see on social media.

“We’ll wait and see this legislation. I’m deeply sceptical. I fear that this is just going to be an attempt by the government to censor social media.”

He warned against the communications minister having “enormous” discretion in any new powers.

“I fear, given Labor and the minister’s past biases, that this will just be an attempt to censor the internet, and that’s not what we should be doing.”

The shadow home affairs minister, the outgoing Liberal senator Jonno Duniam, likened the government’s plans to dumped anti-misinformation legislation introduced during Labor’s first term in government.

“Empowering individuals to make a choice about what they consume is absolutely where we should be at,” he said. “Empowering parents to do the same for those that are in their custody, their kids, should absolutely absolutely do something.”

Duniam told ABC TV the Coalition would only support the plan if “it doesn’t necessarily impede on people’s rights and freedoms.”

“I think that we probably already have in terms of our broadcast, free to air, film, and cinema, and other forms of media classification program, a good sort of baseline to go from.”

The One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, has already criticised the government’s plan, warning Labor should not have control over what Australians see online.

“Australia should be moving away from government censorship, not building the Orwellian machinery for it,” Hanson posted on social media last week.

Given the opposition from the Coalition and One Nation, any new legislation would require support from the Greens to pass the Senate.