US slams Australia's algorithm opt-out as 'censorship' — SkimNews
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- The US embassy in Canberra filed a rare diplomatic submission attacking Australia's draft digital duty of care laws, calling them "censorship of protected speech"
- Tech firms would be required under the proposal to give users the option to turn off algorithmic feeds and face hefty fines for failing to protect users from harmful content
- The US submission warned that allowing Australia to "enforce vague definitions of 'harm'" would enable "viewpoint-based censorship" and asked Canberra to clarify how "harm" and "risks" would be determined
- The US also claimed the laws could force tech firms to "pre-emptively demote" independent journalists and minority viewpoints, with effects potentially extending beyond Australia to global users
- Australian PM Anthony Albanese, responding during his UN General Assembly visit in New York, rejected the overreach framing: "It's about giving people back control over what they receive on their devices"
- The US warned the proposed framework could damage Australia's "reputation as a jurisdiction that enables innovation" and impose "rigid, one-size-fits-all platform design requirements"
Why it matters: Australia now faces a rare diplomatic clash over its draft algorithm law, with the US formally opposing it as 'censorship' and demanding clarification of how 'harm' is defined. The US warned the rules could reshape platform design globally, raising the stakes for Australian lawmakers weighing whether to proceed.
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