Advocates are calling for Labor to implement “opt-in” social media algorithm reforms amid fears of the impact of recommender systems on an explosion in sexual violence among teenagers.

The federal government has flagged it is consulting on ways to crackdown on algorithm-related harms, including weighing up whether Australia should implement “opt-in” and “opt-out” systems.

It comes as federal Labor ministers Tanya Plibersek and Jason Clare attended an emergency roundtable convened by NSW Education Minister Prue Car on Friday in the wake of a number of assaults allegedly committed by schoolchildren.

Ms Plibersek, speaking after the roundtable, said Australians should be able to choose not to see “violent and degrading” material on social media, citing the rapid exposure of young men to misogynistic content online which she described as a “deliberate decision” by Big Tech.

“They are making money out of harming our children. We need to look at what additional powers we need to deal with that,” she said.

But Teach Us Consent founder Chanel Contos says opt-in systems must be the standard for any reforms, pointing to the European Union’s flawed reforms to the Digital Services Act which forced platforms to offer an opt-out option.

This model has struggled to find success because Big Tech “maliciously worked their way around it – burying the setting, resetting every time you close the app, disincentivising use of the feature by making the alternative practically unusable,” Ms Contos said.

“It’s time for something better – we can’t repeat the same mistakes.”

Coalition split over consent education

Earlier, the Liberal Party’s most senior female politician backed Australia’s national consent education framework in a move that put her at odds with a Coalition colleague who controversially said the curriculum was teaching “anti-boy” ideology.

Nationals Leader Matt Canavan said on Thursday he believed the state-funded ‘Respectful Relationships’ curriculums could be a factor in young boys turning to harmful online content.

“They have counter-productive results and then drive young boys to toxic voices online because they’re looking for someone to provide them with respect and support,” he said.

However, Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume said Senator Canavan’s comments were about “his own experiences as a parent and the program that his son had been through”.

She told Seven’s Sunrise she believed in the importance of the Respectful Relationships curriculum but also the right to “speak up” about “political activism” in classrooms.

“This doesn’t need to be an attack on teachers, and we should be able to take a position on whether political activism is taking place in our classroom,” Senator Hume said on Friday.

She said she didn’t “know” if activism had permeated classrooms, but said Senator Canavan‘s remarks came from “his child’s experience”.

“And if parents can’t speak up, well, then who will?” Senator Hume said.

But Ms Plibersek later described Senator Canavan’s comments as “unbelievable” in a strong rebuke of the Coalition’s position. 

“I would have thought that teaching young men and women about consent and respectful relationships is something that is beyond politics that any leader could get behind,” she said.

Shortly after the Nationals leader’s comments, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor on Thursday was unable to say whether he backed consent education in schools.

Of course (consent is) important, but I have got to say that the idea that we have a balanced curriculum at the moment, that there are not agendas being run by some teachers, I think is wrong,” the Liberal leader told ABC News Breakfast.

Mr Taylor later reversed course and told a press conference he thought consent should be taught in schools but would not elaborate on how this education should be delivered.

But Health Minister Mark Butler, appearing on the same program as Senator Hume, warned remarks from her male colleagues were not just those of parents, but politicians vying for the highest offices in the country.

“Matt (Canavan) wasn’t just talking as a parent. He was talking as Australia’s alternative deputy prime minister. And Angus Taylor was talking as Australia’s alternative prime minister,” Mr Butler said.
“Unfortunately, this is another example of One Nation telling the Liberal Party to jump and Angus Taylor saying how high?

“I mean, when Pauline Hanson accused teachers of brainwashing students, instead of calling her out, he’s backed her in.

“Teaching respect for girls is not woke. It’s not weak. It’s not socialist, frankly. It’s just decency.”