Australian PM Anthony Albanese has defended draft social media laws intended to give users greater control and to protect under-18s, rejecting US concerns the measures could enable censorship. The proposals would impose a "duty of care," require opt-outs from recommendation algorithms and allow fines up to Aus$109 million (US$78 million). The government plans to consult stakeholders and introduce the legislation to parliament later this year, while the US embassy warns vague definitions of "harm" could risk viewpoint-based censorship and have extraterritorial effects.
Australia Defends Draft Social Media Laws, Says They 'Put Control Back With Users' Amid US Censorship Concerns
Albanese told journalists in New York he would "always stand up for Australia's national interest" (Ludovic MARIN)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has strongly defended a package of draft social media regulations, rejecting US embassy warnings that the measures could enable censorship.
Speaking to reporters in New York, Albanese said the proposals are designed to protect users — especially children and teenagers — and to return control over what appears on personal devices. "It's not about giving government control, it's about giving people back control over what they receive on their devices," he said, adding he will "always stand up for Australia's national interest."
Under the draft laws, major social media platforms would face fines of up to Aus$109 million (about US$78 million) if they fail to meet a new "duty of care" to protect under-18s from harmful material. The rules would require platforms to shield minors from pornography, online bullying, content that glorifies criminal activity and material that encourages eating disorders.
The proposals also include a requirement that platforms offer users an "opt out" from powerful recommendation algorithms that determine what appears in feeds. The government says the measures will be refined after consultations with social media companies, industry bodies and civil society groups, and that the legislation will be introduced to parliament later this year.
"A framework that empowers governments to enforce vague definitions of 'harm' risks becoming a mechanism for viewpoint-based censorship," the US embassy in Canberra warned, adding that rigid, one-size-fits-all platform design requirements could follow and that the measures would disproportionately affect US-headquartered companies.
The embassy also expressed concern about potential extraterritorial effects, saying the rules could lead to censorship of Americans' protected speech online. Albanese and his government, however, contend the draft is aimed at improving safety and giving users greater choice over algorithm-driven content.
Australia introduced a separate law in December barring children from certain social media platforms as part of a broader, world-first effort to protect minors from online bullying and "predatory algorithms." Other countries, including the UK and France, have pursued similar reforms. Data released last month indicated that Australians under 16 increased their use of apps such as Instagram and TikTok despite the ban, highlighting the challenges regulators face in curbing minors' access.
Help us improve.
