The United States has criticised proposed Australian legislation that would require technology companies to give users the option to switch off algorithms, describing the draft measures as “censorship”.
Under the proposed laws, technology firms could face fines if they failed to provide users with a way to opt out of algorithmic systems. The legislation is therefore intended to give individuals greater control over whether algorithms are used when they access or interact with digital services.
The US objection centres on the proposed requirement and the penalties attached to non-compliance. Its criticism places the draft Australian measures at the centre of a disagreement over how technology companies should manage algorithmic systems and the extent to which users should be able to reject them.
The proposals remain draft laws. The material supplied does not provide further details about the size of the potential fines, the services covered or the next stage of the Australian legislative process.
