US Warns Australia Over Proposed Digital Duty of Care Laws

The Government of the United States has warned Australia that proposed digital duty of care laws for users under 18 could facilitate viewpoint-based censorship. In a formal submission to the public consultation process, the Trump administration argued that granting the Australian communications minister the power to define foreseeable harm would incentivize platforms to over-moderate protected speech to avoid regulatory penalties.

The U.S. specifically criticized mandates that would require social media platforms to allow users to opt out of recommendation algorithms in favor of chronological feeds. The U.S. government requested that American platforms be exempted from these regulations, noting that such design changes often impact global users. The proposed Australian laws target content including pornography, misogyny, and the promotion of eating disorders, while granting the eSafety commissioner authority to issue removal notices.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the reforms during the U.N. General Assembly in New York, stating the measures are intended to restore individual control over devices rather than grant government authority. Communications Minister Anika Wells described the legislation as a global reckoning for big tech. Supporting the move, Zoe Jay Hawkins of the Tech Policy Design Institute argued that Australia's strong AI capabilities position the country to lead other middle powers in resisting regulatory pressure from the U.S. and China.