And we'all thought Al Gorithm was a Nepalese disco dancer.....

https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20260907-australians-could-opt-out-of-social-media-algorithms-under-new-law

Australians could opt out of social media algorithms under new law

The draft law requiring a "digital duty of care" is expected to be introduced to Australia's parliament this week.

It would require firms like Meta to give users the option of turning off algorithms that tailor recommendations to their personal taste.

"A lot of Australians appreciate the algorithm, both for the enjoyment they get out of it or the utility they get out of it," Communications Minister Anika Wells told national broadcaster ABC.

"A lot of Australians will want to choose the algorithm -- but we think that big tech should offer them the choice in the first place, and they should respect that choice."

"We should give Australians more choice over what they should see on their feeds," she said.

Social media firms have long faced scrutiny over their use of allegedly addictive algorithms and stand accused of directing users to sensational or extreme content to keep them scrolling.

Australia implemented legislation barring children from social media platforms in December, part of a world-first crackdown designed to protect children from online bullying and "predatory algorithms".

The UK, France and others have followed suit.

Data last month found that under-16s in Australia were increasing their use of social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok despite the ban.

My blurb:-
This is actually a big story - and set to get bigger with looming AI.

How odd is it that weak-kneed governments refuse to even try to control the internet already - and yet a recent class action cost Facebook $5Bn US for 'failing to provide a safe environment for children' - and they equally fail to provide a safe environment for all people - especially those 'sensitive' etc and with 'issues'.  Online bullying and stalking are rampant... and government know in their weak water that they do not have the resources to control it... so it has thus far been left - the abused user abandoned - to 'self-regulation' that does nothing except give the Rainmaker insurance policy response - 'no action taken' - and leaving it entirely up to the user to deal with it.

Now the user is supposed to know and fully understand what these nefarious algorithms are, and how they work and how to shut them off.... brilliant, Laszlo... just brilliant.. so what is the 'duty of care' imposed on the providers?

Shouldn't that be absolutely automatic?  When some asshole posts violence or abuse or filth or stalks someone's account or cyber-bullies etc - why is there no automatic action taken?

Because algorithms don't cost as much as human operators.. be warned.

I've gone one better.

After using Facebook for a short time in 2012 I decided to opt out of social media altogether and I haven't been back since.

And, I'm pretty sure I haven't missed anything important during the last 14 years.

Not important to this board... they clearly didn;t see Julian Assange saying that when all files etc are digitalised - they can be vanished without notice.  See my Army medical records and those of 76 others - caused me a heap of grief.

History can be changed in a stroke of a keyboard... you are warned... we already live in a time when many are frankly borderline and worse...