Trump administration attacks Australia optout algorithm law in rare intervention

The piece reports that the Trump administration has made an unusually public intervention in Australia's debate over a proposed digital duty of care, formally submitting objections to a draft law that would require online services to mitigate harms and offer users an opt-out from algorithmic recommendation feeds. The US submission called elements of the draft "extraterritorial censorship of protected speech," urged that American social media companies be excluded, and raised detailed procedural questions about how Australia would define "harm" and "risk," who would adjudicate them, appeal rights, the role of the eSafety Commissioner, and potential privacy impacts. Washington warned that rigid, one-size-fits-all design mandates could push platforms to demote sensitive or controversial content and inadvertently reduce the reach of independent journalists and other voices.

The intervention comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promotes Australian tech policy at the UN and after Canberra has backed international AI rules and a teen social media ban. The US argued that Australia-specific mandates could alter how platforms operate worldwide and create conflicting legal requirements across jurisdictions. American industry has already joined a High Court challenge to the teen ban, and White House officials previously cautioned against digital taxes and fines for US tech firms. Communications Minister Anika Wells downplayed the US warning and officials from both sides declined further comment.