Australia is considering a major change to the way social media platforms use recommendation algorithms. The government is weighing whether users should have to actively choose to use these systems instead of having them switched on automatically when they create an account.
The proposal is part of a wider government effort to reduce family as well as domestic violence and protect young people from harmful online content. Officials are increasingly concerned that social media platforms can quickly direct users toward violent, misogynistic and sexually harmful material.
Tanya Plibersek, the minister for social services, has raised strong concerns about the role of social media in the growing exposure of young people to violent sexual content. She said recommendation systems can deliberately push harmful material toward young and adult males, potentially influencing their understanding of relationships and sexual behavior.
Plibersek said it can take less than half an hour for a young Australian boy to be shown misogynistic and violent content after creating a social media account. She also pointed to reports that six out of every ten young people have had a strangulation experience in the course of a sexual act, highlighting concerns about the normalization of dangerous behavior.
The issue has received additional attention following the death of a girl aged 16 in Sydney after a suspected sexual strangulation incident.
One of the strongest supporters of an opt-in approach is Chanel Contos, founder of Teach Us Consent. She argues that simply giving users the ability to turn algorithms off may not be enough. Instead, recommendation systems should be disabled from the beginning, requiring users to give clear permission before they are activated.
Under her proposed system, social media feeds would initially display posts in chronological order from accounts a person follows. Features that recommend content could use broader information rather than detailed personal profiles based on individual online behavior.
Contos believes this would make social media safer for young people and introduce the idea of active consent into the way people interact with digital platforms.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has supported giving Australians greater control over what they see online, although his government has not yet committed to the specific opt-in model. Communications Minister Anika Wells has also criticized recommendation systems that operate without enough transparency.
The possible algorithm rules are part of a broader regulatory push. Australia already restricts social media accounts for children under 16 and has introduced age verification for online pornography. The government is also preparing a digital duty of care proposal that would require technology and artificial intelligence companies to take steps to prevent foreseeable harm.
Different countries are considering imposing various restrictions on social media platforms after Australia made history as the first country to ban access to these platforms for anyone under 16 years of age. Other entities like Rumble Inc. (NASDAQ: RUM) operating within this ecosystem may be wondering how far countries will go in their efforts to regulate internet use in general.
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