Australia has proposed requiring social media platforms to provide users with an option to switch off recommended content. The proposed measure would give people greater control over whether platforms use recommendation systems to select material for their feeds.
Under the plan, platforms would be required to include an off switch for recommended content. The supplied information does not specify which services would be covered, how the option would operate or when the proposal could take effect.
The proposal comes amid concerns about the influence of social media algorithms and the difficulty some users may face in escaping content selected by automated systems. It is intended to address those concerns by allowing users to stop receiving recommendations, although no further details of the proposed rules have been provided.
The latest position is that Australia has put forward the idea of a mandatory control for users. Further information would be needed to establish how the measure would be implemented and how social media companies would be expected to respond.
