Under the proposal, platforms must show a pop‑up message that asks each user if they want to keep the algorithm or switch to a feed that only displays posts from accounts they follow.

The same draft, called the Digital Duty of Care, would also make platforms legally responsible for reducing illegal material and a range of psycho‑social harms for users under 18, such as content about body image or bullying, and it would allow fines of more than $100 million for breaches.

Opposition parties and the Greens have responded with mixed opinions: some, like Greens senator Sarah Hanson‑Young, want an opt‑in system that requires users to actively choose an algorithmic feed, while other opposition figures have expressed concerns about censorship and the practicality of the opt‑out model.

If the laws pass, everyday users could gain direct control over what appears in their timelines, potentially seeing fewer sensational or harmful posts, while platforms would have to invest more in monitoring and removing illegal or harmful content.