Australian activist pushes for algorithm-free social feeds, sparking US opposition
Chanel Contos, who previously reformed school curricula on consent, is now lobbying for a bill that would let users browse social media without algorithms, a move that has drawn pushback from the Trump administration.
After leading a successful campaign to embed consent education in Australian schools, Contos has turned her attention to the way social platforms curate content. She argues that algorithmic feeds fuel teenage sexual abuse and is backing a parliamentary proposal to make algorithm-free scrolling easier for users. The initiative has attracted criticism not only from domestic opponents but also from officials linked to the Trump administration in the United States.
Why it matters
It highlights growing calls to regulate social media algorithms to protect young people from online harm.
How the sides frame it
LOW AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage frames the story around an activist’s campaign for algorithm-free feeds and criticism from Trump-linked officials, while centrist coverage centers on teenage boys repeatedly encountering misogynistic videos, expert explanations of algorithmic bias, and proposed government opt-out legislation.
LEFT
Frames the issue as a policy fight led by an activist demanding algorithm-free scrolling, highlighting criticism from US officials linked to the Trump administration.
CENTER
Frames the issue as teenage boys being exposed to misogynistic content despite avoiding it, emphasizing algorithmic bias, academic analysis, and pending government legislation for an opt-out option.
The left emphasises
- "algorithmic feeds fuel teenage sexual abuse"
- "backing a parliamentary proposal to make algorithm-free scrolling easier"
- "criticism... from officials linked to the Trump administration"
How this story developed
- Oct 4 Greece moves ahead with age-verification rule for social media users under 15
- Oct 10 Indonesia announced platform actions on under‑16 accounts; Greece prepared to enforce an age‑verification rule for users under 15.
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