The Government has announced a bill to make social media algorithms opt-in only.
Currently, “recommendation-based” algorithms are the default on most social media platforms.
The proposed change follows years of pressure from advocacy groups, including youth-led charity Teach Us Consent, which argued the existing system exposes users to harmful content.
If passed, platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to $109.2 million.
Algorithms
Early social media algorithms showed content from people you follow, in chronological order.
Today, “recommendation” algorithms decide what shows up in your feed, ranking content based on your behaviour.
Companies track signals like watch time, likes, comments and shares to predict what will keep you scrolling.
A 2024 study by Dublin City University found it took as little as 23 minutes on TikTok and YouTube Shorts for algorithms to start recommending misogynistic content to accounts held by 16 to 18-year-old boys.
Background
Then-Communications Minister Michelle Rowland first flagged the idea of a legislated “digital duty of care” in November 2024.
It followed an independent review of the Online Safety Act, which recommended shifting responsibility onto tech companies to proactively prevent harm, rather than relying on users to report it after the fact.
The proposal was modelled on similar rules in the EU, where the world’s biggest platforms must offer a non-algorithmic feed option.
Australian users can currently change their Instagram feeds to be chronological.
Fix Our Feeds
In December 2025, Teach Us Consent launched the “Fix Our Feeds” campaign.
It argued algorithms were systematically pushing extreme misogynistic content to boys and young men, which it linked to a rise in adolescent perpetration of sexual violence.
The campaign advocated to make social media algorithms opt-in, not the default, so users have to actively choose to turn them on.
As part of the campaign, an open letter to the Prime Minister drew more than 15,000 signatures, including from former PM Malcolm Turnbull, Senators David Pocock and Sarah Hanson-Young, and MP Allegra Spender.
Teach Us Consent argued its push for change was broadly popular, with its polling showing 71% of respondents supported an opt-in policy to recommendation algorithms.
In an address to the National Press Club last week, Teach Us Consent CEO & Founder Chanel Contos said the opt-in model would “bring the principles of affirmative and informed consent to our screens”.
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Bill
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells announced the Government’s bill on Tuesday.
Under the reforms, platforms would have to “send a notification to new and existing users offering them a choice over their default feed.”
Users could opt in to a personalised, algorithm-recommended feed, or opt out and see only content from accounts they follow, in the order it’s posted.
“The digital duty of care will ensure online service providers – including some of the most powerful companies in the world – step up and do more to keep Australians safe from harm on their platforms.”
As part of the duty of care, other platforms like online games, apps and AI chatbots would also have to protect under-18s from addictive design features or anything that can affect a young person’s self esteem.
This includes content that:
promotes or encourages eating disorders
promotes hostile ideas about women and gender equality
is pornographic
glorifies crime or dangerous stunts
causes serious mental health distress, including abuse and bullying
Response
Teach Us Consent celebrated the announcement, with Contos saying: “This is a great first step, and we’re proud to have put it on the agenda”.
Greens communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young also welcomed the news, saying the party will “work through the details and be pushing for improvements before the bill hits the parliament”.
A Coalition spokesperson said the Opposition would consider the bill, but is “deeply sceptical and concerned it could become an attempt by the Government to censor the internet.”
What’s next?
The bill is open for consultation, with the Government seeking feedback from digital platforms, industry bodies, civil society organisations and advocates.
After consultation, the Government expects to introduce it to Parliament this year.
The Government will need support for it to pass the Senate.
A deal with the Greens, which had advocated for these types of reforms, is the most likely path forward.
