2 hrs ago
Australia Proposes Letting Users Turn Off Algorithmic Social Feeds
Australia wants social media users to choose how their feeds are organised.
They could keep a feed chosen by an algorithm or use one that mostly shows accounts they follow.
Algorithms study actions such as likes, viewing time and shares to guess what people will watch next.
These systems can help people find content, but they may also lead users toward harmful or upsetting material.
A following-based feed could feel quieter and less exciting.
It might also give people more control and cause them to spend less time on social media.
Less time on platforms could affect the advertising businesses that support many social networks.
Companies might try to persuade users to turn recommendations back on.
The government would therefore need to make sure the choice is clear, lasting and genuine.
Australia has proposed requiring social platforms to let users choose between personalised recommendations and feeds limited mainly to followed accounts.
The plan is part of a proposed Digital Duty of Care law enforced by eSafety, with penalties of up to A$109.2 million.
Supporters say algorithmic recommendations can promote harmful material, including body-image content and misogyny.
Turning off recommendations could produce a more chronological feed focused on friends, family and chosen creators, though it would not be entirely algorithm-free.
Experts warn platforms could technically comply while nudging users back toward personalised feeds, making enforcement and digital literacy important.
- Who
- The Australian government, social media platforms, users, eSafety, and researchers including Rashina Hoda and Emilia Bellucci.
- What
- Australia has proposed giving users an explicit choice between personalised algorithmic feeds and feeds based mainly on accounts they follow.
- Where
- Australia, across social media platforms used by Australian users.
- When
- The proposal has been unveiled as part of a wider proposed Digital Duty of Care law; no implementation date is stated.
- Why
- The government says recommendation systems can push users toward harmful content and wants to establish safer online environments with greater user control.
User Control and Safety
Platform Flexibility and Compliance Concerns
Default feed choice
User Control and Safety
Users should receive a genuine, enduring choice between personalised recommendations and a following-based feed.
Platform Flexibility and Compliance Concerns
Platforms may argue that recommendation systems help users navigate the large volume of available content, while the article warns they could preserve them through design choices.
Effects on wellbeing
User Control and Safety
Disabling recommendations could reduce exposure to harmful material, increase users’ sense of autonomy and possibly reduce time spent on platforms.
Platform Flexibility and Compliance Concerns
A less personalised feed could be viewed as less engaging, and platforms could encourage users to return to algorithmic feeds through in-app prompts or reduced functionality.
Regulatory enforcement
User Control and Safety
Regulators should examine software design and actual user behaviour to prevent “malicious compliance.”
Platform Flexibility and Compliance Concerns
Technical compliance alone may allow platforms to meet the formal requirement while still shaping user behaviour toward personalised recommendations.
Key facts
- Initiative
- “My Feed, My Way”
- Related legislation
- Proposed Digital Duty of Care law
- Feed choices
- Personalised recommendations or content mainly from followed accounts
- Regulator
- Australia’s online safety regulator, eSafety
- Maximum stated penalty
- A$109.2 million for non-compliance
- Potential effect
- Users may see more chronological content from friends, family and chosen creators
- Industry risk
- Platforms could use nudges or poorer features to encourage users to restore personalised feeds
Quotes
Anthony Albanese
Australia’s prime minister
“These new laws will put the onus on digital service providers to provide a safe online environment, setting minimum standards for the features and tools they use.”
indianexpress.com
Rashina Hoda
Monash University software engineering professor and HumanAISE Lab director
“Children, young adults, the elderly, people with lower digital literacy, and other vulnerable cohorts such as people with mental health concerns may not fully understand the options and may not initially know what to do with their own found power of choice and control. They may need help navigating the change.”
indianexpress.com
Emilia Bellucci
Deakin University senior lecturer in information systems
“When personalised recommendations are turned off, a chronological feed is seen as the default. This means they are likely to see feeds from our friends and those we have connected with, resulting in ‘boring’ content, ie unlikely to be exciting, sensational or rouse up extreme emotions.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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