# Australia proposes user choice over personalised social-media feeds
*Event date: 2026-09-08*
Australia's government has released draft legislation that would require social-media platforms to give users a choice over the algorithms shaping their default feeds. The proposal, branded “My Feed, My Way,” forms part of a broader Digital Duty of Care framework now being circulated for targeted consultation.
Under the draft, platforms would notify both new and existing users that they can decide how their default feed works. A user could opt into personalised recommendations selected by a platform's algorithm or opt out and instead see posts from the friends and creators they have chosen to follow. The government describes the measure as an Australian first intended to shift control over the default experience toward the individual user.
The proposal does not stop at social networks. It would establish minimum safety expectations for digital service providers, covering products such as online games, apps and AI chatbots. Services would be expected to identify risks to Australian users, document the steps taken to reduce those risks and keep checking that the safeguards remain effective.
Protections for people under 18 are a central part of the plan. The government's announcement says covered services would need to address product features that can negatively affect behaviour or self-esteem, including addictive design. They would also be required to protect young users from categories of harmful content specified by the framework.
The draft would expand the enforcement role of Australia's eSafety Commissioner. It proposes powers to issue removal notices against nudify applications and websites, while streamlining existing processes for child cyberbullying and adult cyber-abuse complaints. The stated aim is to let the regulator respond more quickly when harmful material appears online.
Potential penalties are substantial. A provider that fails to comply with the proposed duty of care could face a fine of up to A$109.2 million. That enforcement model places responsibility on platforms to manage foreseeable harms in the design and operation of their services, rather than relying only on users to respond after harm occurs.
For social-media users over 16, the practical change would be a direct choice at the point where they open an app: accept a feed assembled from recommended content or reject that personalisation in favor of accounts they intentionally follow. The government says platforms would have to make the choice easy and respect the user's selection.
The measure remains a proposal rather than enacted law. The government is seeking responses from platforms, industry groups, civil-society organizations and advocates during consultation, with legislation planned for introduction to Parliament later in 2026. Details could therefore change before lawmakers consider a final bill.
The initiative follows Australia's social-media age restrictions and extends the policy debate from access to product design. If adopted, it would test whether a legal duty can make feed selection and safety controls more visible without prescribing a single experience for every user.
