Toxic algorithms wouldn't let them go - now Australia wants an off switch

Australia is considering a major crackdown on the recommendation algorithms that decide what billions of people see on social media. The centerpiece of a proposed Digital Duty of Care bill would force platforms to give users a genuine off switch: feeds showing only accounts they follow, instead of machine-curated recommendations.

The push grew from activist Chanel Contos's "Fix Our Feeds" campaign, which called for recommended algorithms to be turned off by default. More than 15,000 people signed her petition, and the government said in September it had listened. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insisted it was about user power, not state power: "This is not about giving government control, it is about giving people control."

The plan was shaped by accounts like that of Varsha Yajman, now 24 and recovering from anorexia, who says weight-loss videos dragged her into deep rabbit holes as a teenager, and Flynn Martin, whose feed filled with manosphere content before a hospital stay after a period of psychosis. Both say they doubt Australia can take on big tech.

The industry has given the plan a muted response. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri argues algorithmic feeds are essential to enjoyment, while right-wing critics in Australia and the Trump administration warn the bill could force over-moderation and censorship.

Enforcement is another open question. Australia is still struggling to implement its under-16 social media ban, and the EU's 2023 algorithm rules offer a warning: platforms added following-only feeds but made them so clunky that take-up stayed low.