Should’ve done this instead of garbage age verification.

Am I the only one who thinks big tech won't do jack shit other than nod and smile and install a user button that doesn't actually change anything at all?

They are so NOT going to turn this off. This -- the ability to manipulate users by controlling exactly what they see -- is the sole reason they are in business. It gets them ad revenue, data to resell, and massive, uncontrollable political power.

And they're just going to let a user turn that highly individualized control off and turn themselves into a less monetizable, more ad immune user one by one because some govt told them to? The same governments that have been telling them not to do this or that for decades now?

Lol, pull the other one.

When I was on TikTok, I tried to stick to the "following" feed only, but it was very hard not to check the "for you page" (algorithmic feed), because the app is so good at knowing how to dazzle the user. It also defaulted to showing the algorithm when the app is reopened.

I only know a handful of other people who used the app, but they described the same problem: they follow people, but then they just use the algorithmic feed instead anyway.

All this to say that there are ways to present a choice to the user in such a way that users will not engage with that choice.

I'd like to shut off fhe algorithms forcing me to see right wing transphobia on facebroach

I've been saying this for a while.

Of course, our right wing nut jobs won't vote for it because they need rage bait to get votes (and normal people don't post rage bait).

If this passes, Australia will turn sane again

Nice.

Someone please tell them they can already do that. It's called the Fediverse.

Algorithm: a specific step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end

Software is full of algorithms.

I know there is also the recent meaning where "algorithm" stands for recommender systems and algorithmic curation, but I expect lawmakers to be a little more precise in their wording.

Reality: social media will be made unavailable in all Australia.

Coming up: upload your ID to verify your Australian citizenship

(but props to Australia for trying to regulate it nevertheless)

I would probably use facebook much more if my feed was only my friends and followed pages. Their loss on insisting on this I guess.

On youtube turn off the auto play and mindfully choose what you want. Stop getting force fed like a mindless bag. Also use Duck video player and skip the ads.

Misinformation,

Childlike common clay masses,

Like free heroin

PSA: on youtube, you can turn off the algorithm by turning off watch history, so you will only see your subscriptions page, but also related videos under the current video you're on. I spend less time there now, and enjoy the content I do watch much more.

How in the world do you "switch off algorithms"? Even sort by new or purely random content is still an algorithm. Not to mention, if you switch to something like sort by new, that's even easier to manipulate. Just have bot accounts flood the feeds with whatever propaganda they want to push.

This is a good idea in spirit, but until I see the actual legislation, I feel like this could very easily end up in the category of geriatric politicians completely failing their attempts at legislating tech.

Insert, "can I get some of that" meme.

Article is light on details. I'm curious how they define what is "algorithm"-generated content and what isn't.

Damn, first legitimately good thing I've seen come out of that country in a while as far as legislation is concerned.

So what does that mean? No posts? Sort by newest? (Wouldn't be too bad actually)

I hope the EU follow up and do the same

I mean, this is pretty good in theory, in practice, we can just move more people to the fediverse

Good .... all social media should be heavily regulated and controlled everywhere. Social media has become as integrated and influential in our lives like newspapers and television and radio once were ... they heavily regulated those media in the past, they should do the same for all social media everywhere now.

Right now, its basically just the wild west and governments are always playing catch up or just blindly being controlled by the corporations behind all social media

Now, if there were a site that we could design our own algorithms, that would be gold. Just want to see your friends? Cool, press that button. Just want to shop for your next adventure? Cool, press that button. Looking for fun things to do over the weekend? Cool, push that button. I want to buy stuff, I just want to see everything available and not have it shoved down my throat.