Washington Condemns Australia’s Algorithm Opt-Out Proposal as Risk to Free Speech

The United States has strongly condemned Australia’s plan to allow users to opt out of social media algorithms, describing it as censorship of protected speech.

Under Australia’s proposed digital duty of care legislation, technology companies face significant fines if they do not provide users with the ability to disable algorithmic recommendations to shield them from harmful content.

In an unusual submission regarding the draft laws, the US embassy in Canberra expressed “serious concerns,” warning that letting authorities “enforce vague definitions of ‘harm'” would result in “viewpoint-based censorship.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese countered that the bill is not about granting governments control, but returning autonomy to individuals.

“We urge Australia to clarify precisely how ‘harm’ and ‘risks’ will be defined… to ensure these terms do not infringe upon protected speech,” the US stated in its filing.

The US also argued that the laws could potentially “reduce the reach of independent journalists and other voices addressing sensitive or controversial subjects” if platforms were forced to “pre-emptively demote” such content.

The embassy added that an opt-out mechanism would “permit regulators to impose rigid, one-size-fits-all platform design requirements” on tech firms, potentially impacting users beyond Australia’s borders.

“Mandated platform design features, particularly those affecting algorithms, could shape what users see, say, and hear not only within Australia but globally,” the submission noted.

The US further urged Australia to address industry fears that government officials’ “biases and preferences” might “disadvantage independent or minority-viewpoint speech.”

There was also concern that the proposed laws might undermine Australia’s standing as “a jurisdiction that enables innovation,” according to the submission.

This criticism emerged while Albanese is visiting the United States to address the UN General Assembly regarding his administration’s technology policies.

On Tuesday, local time in New York, Albanese directly rebutted the criticism and allegations of government overreach.

“It is not about giving government control,” he told reporters in New York.

“It is about giving people back control over what they see on their devices.”

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump used his UN address to downplay AI concerns, dismissing calls for regulatory guardrails and suggesting the term be changed to “super intelligence” because “the use of the word artificial makes it sound fake.”

Australia’s latest effort to safeguard online users comes less than a year after it implemented a social media ban for children under 16 in December.

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