Labor wants Australians to be able to opt out of online algorithms. How will it change your feed?
Public PolicyCommunicationsLaw
THE AI ANGLE
Curating algorithmic feeds and generating synthetic images targeted by regulatory restrictionsAustralia's government has introduced draft legislation establishing a digital duty of care that forces social media, search engines, and AI chatbots to offer users the choice to opt out of algorithmic feeds. Backed by fines exceeding $100 million, the proposed laws mandate risk assessments, restrict engagement features for under-16s, and give ministers the power to designate and ban harmful content. This development provides a major case study in how legal frameworks and public policy attempt to rein in tech platforms' power over public communication while navigating sharp debates over potential state censorship.
THE TEACHING ANGLE
Students can evaluate the tension between using statutory duties of care to protect users from algorithmic harms and the risk of executive overreach in defining what speech is restricted.Read the original at theguardian.com Generate teaching or study materials
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