The Albanese government is preparing to release draft legislation establishing a digital duty of care for major technology companies, with Communications Minister Anika Wells warning that firms could face substantial penalties if they fail to protect Australians online.
The proposed laws are expected to give social media users greater control over the algorithms that determine what appears in their feeds. An opt-in function could allow users to choose whether they receive algorithmically selected content, rather than relying on systems designed by platforms to maximise engagement. The legislation is also expected to require mandatory risk assessments, stronger child-safety protections in platform design and fines potentially worth tens of millions of dollars for breaches.
Wells said she wanted Australians to have more choice over their online experience and for technology companies to respect those choices.
"I definitely want Australians to have more choice over their feeds than what they currently have and I want big tech to respect that choice," she said.
"And if they don't respect that choice, I want big tech to suffer big fines."
The Coalition has expressed reservations about the proposal. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said he was "deeply sceptical" and raised concerns about censorship, while deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume said the opposition would wait to see the legislation before deciding whether to support it.
Independent MP Kate Chaney welcomed the direction of the proposed reforms but argued they should go further than simply allowing users to opt in or out of algorithmic feeds.
Chaney said the measures known so far "would be a great start" and pointed to growing public concern about the way social media platforms operate.
"People are really concerned about the toxic and strange place social media has become, and that's because this isn't a consumer product where we pay for something – our attention is the actually the product here that's being sold," she told the ABC.
"so these companies spend billions of dollars to get us to watch it for as long as possible."
While Chaney said an opt-in feature for algorithms "is a start", she questioned whether platforms might deliberately make non-algorithmic feeds less appealing.
"So I would like to see the duty go further and actually look at how those algorithms work, rather just giving people a yes-no choice."
Her comments suggest she is likely to push for greater scrutiny of the design and operation of recommendation systems themselves, rather than relying solely on consumer choice as a safeguard.
If the Coalition does not support the legislation, Labor may need crossbench backing to pass it through the Senate. The Greens have indicated broad support, potentially giving the government another pathway for the reforms.