The U.S. Embassy's submission to the government's draft duty-of-care laws has injected a diplomatic dimension into the domestic debate over the proposed social media reforms. The draft legislation would allow Australian users to opt out of the algorithms that curate their social media feeds, a move Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously defended amid criticism.
Speaking on ABC Radio National Breakfast on Wednesday, Senator Bragg said the US intervention was 'fine' and that he shared some of the concerns about the bill. 'There is a risk of censorship. There is a risk of bestowing too much power onto unelected bureaucrats,' he said. 'There is a risk of too much regulation, which may not actually have any great impact on our economy or our society.'
The Coalition has previously aired concerns that the proposed changes give a 'blank cheque for political censorship' to the minister in charge, and warned they posed a threat to free speech. The government has argued the laws are necessary to give users more control over what they see online and to address harms stemming from algorithmic content distribution.
The Prime Minister has responded to the criticism, though his specific remarks on the US intervention have not yet been detailed. The development comes as the government continues to face pressure from both domestic political opponents and foreign governments over the scope of the proposed regulations.