US warns Australia's algorithm opt-out law would 'facilitate censorship'

The Trump administration has warned that Australia’s proposed social-media algorithm reforms would “likely” be viewed by Washington as “facilitating censorship”, in a formal submission late on Tuesday.

The US Embassy in Canberra, filing to Australia’s public consultation, said it had “serious concerns” about draft laws proposed this month by Australia’s centre-left Labor government that would require platforms to notify users and offer a default algorithm-recommended feed, with the option to opt out and instead see posts only from accounts they choose to follow.

“We are particularly concerned by potential mandates that would allow regulators to impose rigid, one-size-fits-all platform design requirements — such as forced chronological feeds or opt-in recommendation systems,” the US statement said, adding the rules “may affect what users see, say and hear not just in or from Australia, but globally”.

Washington also urged Canberra to clearly define how “harm” and “risk” would be determined, warning vague definitions risked enabling viewpoint-based censorship by incentivising platforms to over-moderate protected speech. “The US government would likely consider such a measure as facilitating censorship,” the statement said, arguing that suppressing a disfavoured speaker’s or media source’s reach would be no different from outright removal.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended the legislation as returning control to individuals rather than increasing government oversight, the BBC reported. Communications Minister Anika Wells did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The row follows Australia’s social media ban for under-16s, introduced in December.

Sources

• Reuters: “US warns Australia’s social media algorithm reforms risk ‘facilitating censorship’” — https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-warns-australias-social-media-algorithm-reforms-risk-facilitating-censorship-2026-09-22/
• CNA: “US warns Australia’s social media algorithm reforms risk ‘facilitating censorship’” — https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/us-warns-australias-social-media-algorithm-reforms-risk-facilitating-censorship-6403646
• BBC coverage of Albanese’s defence of the legislation — cited in Reuters/CNA reports