US criticises Australia's proposed algorithm opt-out laws as 'censorship'

September 23, 2026 at 06:35 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The US has criticised Australia's proposed digital duty of care laws, saying they amount to 'censorship of protected speech'. The US embassy in Canberra said it had 'serious concerns' that enforcing vague definitions of 'harm' would lead to viewpoint-based censorship. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded that the legislation is about giving people back control over what they receive on their devices.

Key Facts

The US embassy in Canberra said it had 'serious concerns' about Australia's proposed digital duty of care laws.
Under the draft laws, tech firms risk hefty fines if they fail to give users the option to turn off algorithms.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation is about giving people back control over what they receive on their devices.
The US claimed the proposed laws may risk reducing the reach of independent journalists or other voices whose content touches on sensitive or controversial topics.
The criticism comes during Albanese's visit to the US to speak at the UN's General Assembly about his government's tech policies.

US Submission

In a rare submission to the proposed laws, the US embassy in Canberra said it had 'serious concerns' and allowing the government to 'enforce vague definitions of harm' would lead to 'viewpoint-based censorship'. The US asked Australia to clarify how exactly 'harm' and 'risks' shall be determined, ensuring these definitions do not encroach on protected speech. The US also claimed that the proposed laws may risk 'reducing the reach of independent journalists or other voices whose content touches on sensitive or controversial topics' if tech firms had to 'pre-emptively demote' them. An opt-out option would 'allow regulators to impose rigid, one-size-fits-all platform design requirements' on tech firms and this could affect users outside of Australia, it said. The US also called on Australia to address industry concerns that the 'biases and preferences' of government officials do not 'disadvantage independent or minority-viewpoint speech'.

Australian Response

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation was not about giving governments control but giving it back to individuals. On Tuesday, local time in New York, Albanese responded to the criticism and claims of the proposed laws being government overreach. 'It's not about giving government control,' he told the media in New York. 'It's about giving people back control over what they receive on their devices.'

Broader Context

US President Donald Trump used his speech at the UN to play down fears about AI, rejecting proposals for guardrails on it and arguing it should be renamed 'super intelligence' as 'the use of the word artificial makes it sound fake'. This latest move by Australia to protect its online users from harm comes less than a year after the country introduced a social media ban for children under 16 last December.