The Australian government is considering allowing users to opt in or opt out of social media algorithms, and is looking at a recent UK ban on depictions of strangulation and suffocation in pornography.
The social services minister, Tanya Plibersek, said social media was “playing a huge role” in the increase in sexual violence among teenagers and choking, and confirmed the options were being considered as the government develops its second action plan to end family and domestic violence against women and children.
It follows the death of a 16-year-old girl in Sydney after a suspected sexual strangulation act. Guardian Australia reported on Thursday that a source informed about the case said the teenager was believed to have become unconscious as a result of asphyxiation during sexual intercourse, often referred to as “choking”. No arrests have been made…
Labor will also soon begin consultation on a digital duty of care bill that will put the onus on tech companies, including AI companies, to make online spaces safer for all users.
Plibersek said the digital duty of care legislation, as well as a second round of privacy reforms, could also help tackle camera-equipped smartglasses, which she said she had serious concerns about.
I’m happy that YouTube lets you use the algorithm or not, but it seems when people have the option most choose the algorithm
This is why the government should also do an information campaign about the media bubbles and echo chambers caused by algorithms. If they really want to improve social cohesion, they need to help people understand when they are being isolated.
The government does not want to improve social cohesion, they are deliberately enabling the opposite.
I think it is generally understood that algorithm in the context of social media recommendations is a shortcut for the engagement algorithms companies use to increase time on platform. I don’t think we need to spell out everything in detail when context provides the necessary clues.
In YouTube the algorithm is generally taken as the thing that chooses what to play next if you have autoplay turned on, which picks what to show in recommended video displays
In general it’s the system to keep putting stuff in front of you to try to maximise your watch time
But in this thread we’re talking specifically about YouTube and how close or not its subscriptions tab gets you out from under the algorithm
We can spell out specifics when talking about a specific feature of a specific platform
That was an option??? I use custom filters in my adblocker to hide recommendations.
You can use the subscriptions tab to see only the videos from channels you subscribe to
You still get recommended videos on the sides and at the end of videos.
You do. Hopefully a law like this would hide that if you opted out
no idea why anyone would use youtube any other way, it’s a mainly trash platform. subscribed is the way to go, the same applies to reddit, and most likely lemmy too (I have never looked at it outside of subscribed)
This was one of the terrifying aspects of Labor’s social media legislation. I sent a letter to the communications minister arguing that I had done everything to provide my tweens/teens with safe access to Youtube with available tech and accounts played an important role. While Youtube should be forced to give up control over shorts and algorithmic targeting, removing parental control over age limited accounts and subscriptions was a disaster for responsible parenting.
I got a lazy form response from the staff. I understand why people look to shitty populist alternatives sometimes.
I often forget that there are decent parents out there, I imagine the government do as well, or at least have no respect for them.
It cannot be easy to be a decent parent these days with all of these creeps in charge of tech.
Agree. I am glad I am not in that demographic anymore. I worry for my grandson and all the other children growing up in the current environment.
Society seems to be sucking itself down further into a moral abyss and the big industries are monetising it all as we burn the planet, abuse the innocent and war with each other in small and huge ways.
I let the algorithm choose when I’m playing music, up until it adds a 3 hour live performance to what 'til then had been 3 - 5 minute music videos
Otherwise it’s just subscriptions
I think some people see the selection of subscriptions as too hard
without setting it to subscriptions I get far too many trashtubers and right wing content
the music rabbit hole is still generally okay, but I feel it used to be better.