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Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws

Updated 11 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-09 13:56 UTC → 2026-09-10 04:11 UTC · added removed

The Australian government has unveiled introduced the ‘Digital Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care’ draft legislation, marking a significant expansion of its regulatory framework for digital services. Building upon Care) Bill 2026, an amendment to the existing under-16 social media ban, this new initiative Online Safety Act. Described by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as ‘world leading’, the legislation seeks to provide users aged 16 and older with greater autonomy through regulate how technology companies manage digital safety, drawing parallels to the European Union’s Digital Services Act. A central component is the ‘My Feed, My Way’ program. This program, which would allow individuals users aged 16 and older to opt out of algorithmically curated feeds in favor of content exclusively from accounts they explicitly follow. To implement this change, facilitate this, platforms would be required to send notifications to must notify both new and existing users, allowing them to select users of their preferred feed type. choice. The proposed laws impose strict framework extends safety obligations on a broad range of digital service providers, including to social networks, online games, apps, and AI chatbots. These providers must implement measures chatbots, requiring them to protect users under 18 from harmful content, such as content—including material promoting eating disorders, misogyny, pornography, or the glorification of crime and dangerous stunts. The legislation also targets stunts—and to mitigate addictive design features that may negatively impact the mental health or self-esteem of young users. features. Non-compliance with these safety standards could result in substantial financial penalties, with fines reaching of up to approximately Aus$109.2 million. While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has framed the government frames these reforms as a way to ‘return control to individuals,’ individuals’, the Coalition and other critics continue has announced its opposition to raise concerns regarding potential censorship the bill in its current form. Opposition leaders argue the legislation grants the Communications Minister excessive power to define harms, potentially providing a ‘blank cheque’ for government control. Critics express concern that the bill lacks adequate safeguards for journalism and could lead to the impact on political engagement and freedom censorship of speech. lawful speech and news.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-10 04:11 UTC Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws
  2. 2026-09-09 13:56 UTC Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws
  3. 2026-09-09 01:24 UTC Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws
  4. 2026-09-08 18:14 UTC Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws
  5. 2026-09-08 07:22 UTC Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws
  6. 2026-09-08 07:22 UTC Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws
  7. 2026-09-08 04:53 UTC Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws
  8. 2026-09-08 00:34 UTC Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws
  9. 2026-09-07 06:02 UTC Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws
  10. 2026-09-07 00:12 UTC Australia advances social media bans and algorithm laws
  11. 2026-09-06 03:01 UTC Australian social media regulation debate
  12. 2026-09-04 09:34 UTC Australian social media regulation debate

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