Australian government MPs have rejected a Trump administration statement labeling Labor’s proposed digital duty of care “censorship,” insisting social media and artificial intelligence cannot be left to regulate themselves.
On Tuesday the U.S. Embassy in Canberra warned the reforms proposed by the Albanese government could result in censorship of disfavored speakers and views, continuing a trend of the Trump administration warning allies against attempts to regulate U.S.-based social media giants.
The Albanese government was warned of the unusual intervention, and officials told POLITICO that U.S. criticisms of European Union digital policies, including by Vice President JD Vance in December, led them to expect the criticism.
Anthony Albanese told reporters in New York that he would “always stand up for Australia’s national interest.”
“It’s not about giving government control, it’s about giving people back control over what they receive on their devices. Which is why it is framed in that way,” he said.
Despite the claim the reform would deliver user choice not government control, the reality is in addition to allowing users to opt-out of algorithmic feeds on social media the proposal would also empower Australia’s Communications Minister to make binding rules specifying compliance requirements including about the harms platforms must avoid.
An Office of Impact Analysis assessment, from the Prime Minister’s own department, published on Sept. 9, listed possible unintended consequences from the law. These included that low-risk online services “may take a more risk-averse approach to harm prevention than intended, for example by employing more stringent content moderation”. The government said the risk will be mitigated with advice to social media companies.
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