Australia Targets ‘Endless Feeds’, FOMO in Tweak to Under-16 Social Media Ban

The federal government has moved to tighten its under-16 social media now defining the algorithms that drive engagement and addiction like “endless” scrolling and content recommendations based on user history.

Communications Minister Anika Wells says the change will “provide greater clarity” on which platforms are captured under Australia’s world-leading ban beyond well known platforms like Facebook or TikTok.

Yet there are concerns, particularly from the Free Speech Union, about the implications on individual privacy.

Endless Feeds and FOMO

The social media ban now covers what the government calls “recommender systems” that refer to algorithms designed to be “addictive and provide constant dopamine hits” to young people via highly personalised material.

Three features that achieve this include “endless feeds” aimed at keeping young people scrolling and engaged for as long as possible.

Another is “feedback features” that include “likes” and “upvotes” on posts that can create pressure for users to seek approval.

And lastly, time limited features like Facebook and Instagram “stories” that appear at the top of a social media page for 24 hours before disappearing. Minister Wells says this feature is designed to “create urgency so young people check apps constantly out of fear of missing out.”

Free Speech Union Says Definitions Too Narrowing

The release of the definition has spurred the Free Speech Union (FSU) argued that targeting certain functions was, in fact, too limiting and companies could remove those features to avoid the ban.

The FSU says the move “is presumably a response to the litigation by Reddit and the Digital Freedom Project” aimed at challenging the ban in Australia’s apex High Court.

The union was also concerned how authorities could access the personalised material of a user to determine if an algorithm was addictive.

“Proving that a platform is a social media platform will be challenging, especially in proceedings that provide some protections from self-incrimination,” the union wrote on X.

It also criticised the targeting of time limited posts, like stories, because they were actually a “privacy-enhancing tool [that] regulators typically encourage.”

Minister Targeting Poor Mental Health

Minister Wells says the ban is aimed at alleviating the poor state of mental health among young people.

“Creating a minimum age to have a social media account is about giving young Australians a break from the pervasive pull of social media,” she said. “Since Gen Alpha got their first smartphone and their first social media account, they have been connected to an addictive dopamine drip.

“Targeted algorithms, doom scrolling, persistent notifications, and toxic popularity metres are stealing their attention for hours every day. We’re shining a light on these harmful and addictive features being used to target young Australians,” she said.

The eSafety Commissioner has assessed 10 key platforms as in scope of social media age restrictions, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and Reddit.