Australia Advances "Digital Duty of Care" Bill to Force Algorithm-Free Social Feeds

Australia's government is introducing a "digital duty of care" framework designed to heavily regulate digital services and force basic safety standards on tech platforms. The legislation mandates that social media companies give Australian users the ability to opt into an algorithm-free feed that only displays content from accounts they already follow. The law establishes a process where the relevant minister, after consulting the e-Safety Commissioner, can recommend certain content be declared harmful and banned following a parliamentary vote. This regulatory push serves as the direct successor to Australia's existing law that prohibits social media platforms from providing accounts to children under 16. "For too long, tech companies have been running real-time, unregulated product testing on Australians." — Minister Anika Wells