Australia wants social media platforms to give users a real choice over whether an algorithm decides what appears in their feed. The government's new "My Feed, My Way" proposal would require platforms to offer that choice directly to users.
The draft Digital Duty of Care legislation was released on September 8 for targeted consultation. Under the proposal, new and existing users would receive a notification explaining their default feed options.
Users over 16 would be able to opt in or opt out of personalised recommendations. Choosing the non-algorithmic option would let people focus on posts from accounts they deliberately follow instead of a feed built around predicted interests.
The proposal sits alongside Australia's broader online-safety rules, including age restrictions that already apply to major social platforms. The new duty of care would also push digital services to meet minimum safety standards for product features and tools.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese framed the move as a user-choice measure rather than a ban on recommendation systems. Platforms could still offer algorithmic feeds, but users would need an easy way to choose and have that choice respected.
If the legislation moves forward, Australia could become one of the clearest tests of what happens when algorithmic feeds stop being the default for everyone.
