Australian PM stands by social media reforms after US censorship warning

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his government’s planned overhaul of social media after the United States accused Australia of risking online censorship, according to the German Press Agency.

Earlier this month, Albanese announced plans to require social media platforms to let users opt out of algorithms and introduce a “Digital Duty of Care” requiring digital services to protect under-18s from harmful content.

The US embassy in Canberra said it had “serious concerns” about the proposal, warning that vague definitions of harm could lead to “viewpoint-based censorship”.

It also said most of the platforms affected were US-headquartered companies and that Washington opposed foreign measures resulting in what it described as extraterritorial censorship of protected speech by Americans online.

Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Albanese said he would “always stand up” for Australia’s national interest.

“The Digital Duty of Care is something that we’ve foreshadowed for some period of time. It’s not about giving government control, it’s about giving people back control over what they receive on their devices,” he said.

Albanese said Australia was among more than 20 countries that had taken action on social media, including Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand.

He said the proposal was still a draft but expressed hope that it would pass parliament.

“This is about giving power back to Australians rather than big global tech companies,” he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev