Overview
- Australia unveiled the proposal Tuesday to require major platforms to offer an option that disables algorithmic recommendations and shows a feed made only of accounts a user follows.
- The bill would widen protections for people under 18 by limiting their exposure to content tied to eating disorders, sexual material, violence, self-harm and online abuse.
- Regulator eSafety would gain stronger enforcement powers to order removals and impose fines of up to A$109.2 million for noncompliance.
- In the United States, California’s Assembly Bill 1709 — which would bar under-16s from having social accounts and create a Digital Safety Advisory Commission — has passed the Assembly and awaits the State Senate.
- Public pressure and policy diffusion are growing as a July 2026 Pew survey found majority U.S. adult support for banning social media for under-16s and more than half of U.S. states have introduced similar bills, while regulators warn age checks will be hard to enforce and platforms warn of compliance costs.