The U.S. embassy in Canberra objected to Australia’s proposed Digital Duty of Care law, warning that its harmful-content provisions could enable localized censorship and control over U.S.-owned businesses. The proposal remains under discussion, with no final structure set.
The proposal would let users switch off engagement-based algorithms in social apps and address addictive features in social media apps and AI chatbots. It also proposes tougher restrictions on content related to eating disorders, crime, gender equality and dangerous stunts.
The discussion document would let the federal communications minister designate categories of harm covered by the law; changes to the rules would be subject to parliamentary review and checks against human-rights obligations, including freedom of expression. U.S. officials asked how harms would be defined and restrictions applied, and said the proposal could threaten independent journalists covering sensitive or controversial topics.
