Australia’s Prime Minister Albanese defends social media reforms — ABC News Australia
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in New York, rejected criticism from the administration of US President Donald Trump over Australia’s proposed digital duty of care legislation. He said the government would defend Australia’s national interests and that the proposed rules should give people more control over the content they receive on their devices.
US position on the bill
According to ABC News Australia, the US Embassy submitted comments on Australia’s proposed legislation. The American side said the reform could amount to extraterritorial censorship of protected speech and called for US social media companies to be exempted from the future legislation.
The proposal provides that major technology companies must proactively address potential harm. It also opens the possibility of giving users a choice of whether to agree to the use of algorithms or opt out. Albanese said the authorities would engage constructively before the legislation is finalized and expressed hope for the support of the entire parliament.
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Artificial intelligence regulation
During his address to the UN General Assembly, US President Donald Trump announced that his government would officially rename artificial intelligence as “superintelligence” and stressed its rejection of regulating this technology. Australia and other countries called for the introduction of global safeguards in the field of AI.
Albanese also spoke in New York about protecting children in the age of artificial intelligence. He called the proposed digital changes an inevitable next step in protecting people online and linked them to the spread of disinformation, polarization, and a shift in political sentiment toward extreme positions.
Opposition Coalition representative Andrew Bragg echoed US concerns about possible censorship risks. According to him, the bill could give overly broad powers to unelected bureaucrats. Earlier, the opposition said the changes could pose a threat to freedom of speech.
