Australians could have the ability to opt out of social media algorithms under new digital laws as leaders try to limit the spread of violent, misogynistic content online.
The federal government will also consider bans on pornography depicting strangulation or suffocation, Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said on Sunday.
“It takes an average of 23 minutes for you to be fed misogynistic – violent misogynistic – content online,” Ms Plibersek told the ABC’s Insiders program.
“That is a deliberate decision of the social media companies that is wrecking our young boys, giving them all of the wrong ideas about what healthy relationships look like, so we’re absolutely up for work on algorithms.”
Labor has committed to legislating a digital duty of care that would force tech companies to proactively prevent online harms, rather than just requiring them to act on complaints.
Ms Plibersek said the government was also looking closely at the implications of a recent $US18 billion settlement between Meta and various US governments, an agreement that includes additional safety features for children on social media.
The senior minister said all those issues were being considered as part of the development of the digital duty of care bill and separate plans to prevent violence against women and children.
“These are all really important considerations as we develop our next action plan on family, domestic and sexual violence, and that work’s going on right now.”
However, she cautioned any restrictions on tech companies would need to be carefully implemented.
“What would be terrific is if we saw some of those features that have been forced on the tech companies overseas to be more broadly adopted globally,” Ms Plibersek said.
Days after a 16-year-old NSW girl was found dead in an incident reportedly linked to a sexual choking, the Labor frontbencher also said Australia needed to seriously look at recent UK laws that criminalised depictions of strangulation and suffocation in pornography.
“There is something wrong with a situation where 60 per cent of young people say they’ve experienced strangulation during sexual encounters,” Ms Plibersek said.
“There is no safe way to strangle someone.”
NSW Liberal leader Kellie Sloane has written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling for a UK-style ban to be introduced.
“We have had the inquiries, we have the evidence and we have seen the consequences,” she said.
“When pornography depicts an act capable of causing brain injury, unconsciousness or death, it should not be treated as just another form of adult entertainment.”
Consent activist Chanel Contos, who will address National Press Club on Wednesday, has been campaigning for Australia to introduce world-leading features to give people the ability to opt in to social media algorithms.
She previously successfully campaigned for mandated consent education in schools.
Ms Contos is among 14 people announced on Sunday to sit on a new Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Advisory Council, which will advise the government on implementing its national action plan.
Anti-men’s violence activist Tarang Chawla, leading Aboriginal child welfare expert Muriel Bamblett, criminologist Hayley Boxall and family violence system advocate Conor Pall are among the other names announced.
“Putting the voices of expert advisors at the heart of our decision-making is essential if we are to end family, domestic and sexual violence for good,” Ms Plibersek said.
The council will meet for the first time in the coming week.
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