The Donald Trump administration has raised concerns that Australia's proposed social media algorithm rules could hand regulators too much influence over how platforms recommend and filter content.

US Embassy Raises Censorship Concerns

On Tuesday, in a formal submission to Australia's public consultation, the U.S. Embassy in Canberra said it had "serious concerns" about legislation that would dictate how social media platforms manage content and user feeds, Reuters reported.

Under the proposed rules, platforms would have to provide users with an algorithm-driven feed while also offering an option to view posts only from accounts they follow.

The U.S. said regulators could impose "one-size-fits-all" requirements, including chronological feeds or recommendation systems requiring user opt-in.

Washington warned that such mandates could influence what people "see, say and hear" beyond Australia if global platforms adopt broader changes.

US Warns Rules Could Suppress Speech

The embassy also urged Australia to establish clear standards for determining what constitutes "harm" and "risk."

It warned that vague definitions could encourage platforms to over-moderate content to avoid regulatory penalties, potentially affecting protected speech based on viewpoint.

The U.S. said aggressively filtering algorithmic content could effectively suppress a speaker or media outlet even when the underlying content remains online.

"The US government would likely consider" such a measure as "facilitating censorship," the embassy said.

Australia is seeking feedback from technology companies, industry groups, civil society organizations and advocates. The government expects to introduce the Digital Duty of Care legislation to Parliament later this year.

Social Media Rules for Children Under 16

Australia's latest effort to address online harms comes less than a year after it introduced a social media ban for children under 16. Elon Musk's X was the last major platform to comply, issuing a statement just hours before the deadline and saying, "It's not our choice – it's what the Australian law requires."

ByteDance's TikTok, Snap Inc.'s (NYSE: SNAP) Snapchat and Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) YouTube also notified users during the time.

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META), which owns Facebook and Instagram, said in August this year that it had deactivated more than 756,000 Australian accounts suspected of belonging to users under 16 as part of its compliance efforts.