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Government algorithm plans prompt debate

ABC Radio PM

Samantha Donovan. Mon 7 Sep 2026 at 5:00pm

The federal government is proposing to issue large fines to social media companies that fail to limit the harmful and illegal content fed to users.

It wants users to have the power to switch off algorithms that suggest content from accounts they do not follow.

The draft legislation is expected to be released later this week but it is already prompting debate in the coalition ranks and condemnation from One Nation. 

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Anika Wells,  Federal Communications Minister 
Barnaby Joyce, One Nation MP
Angus Taylor, Opposition leader
David Littleproud, Nationals MP
Chanel Contos, Founder, Teach Us Consent
Dr Agata Stepnik, digital communication researcher, University of Sydney

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To hear the full program click here.

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How to tame your feed

It was great getting a sense of the deep ethnographic research Agata has undertaken and the links between digital literacy and digital empowerment. What I took away from the conversation was a sense that the algorithms that drive our feeds are not just code, they have a shape and form that evolves based on our interactions. While I would put myself in an ‘algorithms are bad’ camp, I find more people I speak with saying they like their algorithm, it makes their life easier, they just want it to do its work without all the slop and noise. This is where the business models behind the social media platforms come in and left to their own devices, will serve copy to maximise time on screen through extreme content. Counteracting that with hacks like conscious engagement could change our online experiences for the better.