Australia Moves to Give Users Control Over Social Media Algorithms Putting Tourism Marketing in New Territory

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Tourism marketers will have to adapt to new channels to reach potential customers following changes to social media in Australia. The draft Digital Duty of Care legislation released in September 2026 by the Albanese government includes the provision “My Feed, My Way.” Once enacted, Australians will be able to customize their social media recommendation settings. Social media algorithms influence how prospective clients learn about travel and where they stay. Many tourism boards have integrated social media campaigns to promote travel. Online platforms have the potential to revitalize the tourism industry by capturing the interest of clients and connecting them with travel and accommodation options. The proposed provision comes at a pivotal time for the Australian economy and tourism industries as international travel restrictions have only recently been lifted. (Prime Minister of Australia)

Quick Summary

• Australia is proposing new algorithm-choice rules that would give users greater control over personalised social media feeds.
• Tourism marketing could face a new digital environment, as destinations, hotels and travel businesses rely on social platforms for traveller inspiration and discovery.
• No tourism impact has yet been proven. The proposal remains under consultation, and it does not change Australian visas, border rules or entry requirements.

Australia puts algorithm choice at the centre of its next online safety push

Australia’s latest digital policy goes beyond restricting children’s access to social media. The Albanese government is now proposing a wider system that would affect how Australian users choose the content appearing in their feeds.

Under the draft Digital Duty of Care, digital service providers would face minimum standards intended to create safer online environments. The government’s My Feed My Way proposal would require social-media platforms to notify new and existing users about their feed options. (Prime Minister of Australia)

Users would be able to choose whether their default feed includes personalised content recommended by an algorithm. The proposal was released for targeted consultation on 8 September 2026, so it should not yet be described as an implemented requirement. (Prime Minister of Australia)

That distinction matters. There is not yet official evidence showing that the measure has reduced tourism advertising reach, destination discovery or travel bookings.

For Australia’s tourism industry, however, the proposal introduces a new strategic question: how will tourism content perform if some consumers choose different forms of social-media feeds?

Why Australia social media algorithm rules matter to tourism

Social media already has a recognised place in Australia’s tourism promotion system.

Tourism Australia provides industry guidance specifically designed to help tourism businesses improve their use of social channels. Its Social Media Program focuses on stimulating conversations about Australia through platforms including Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. (tourism.australia.com)

Tourism Australia’s Instagram strategy, for example, showcases images submitted and tagged by followers. Its official industry resources also offer guidance on social trends, content creation and examples of tourism operators using social platforms effectively. (tourism.australia.com)

This establishes an important distinction. The government’s new proposal is not a tourism policy, and official sources do not say it is designed to alter tourism marketing.

Its relevance comes from the existing importance of social media to tourism promotion. If Australians exercise greater control over personalised recommendations, businesses using those channels will be operating in a different digital environment.

The policy follows Australia’s under-16 social media restrictions

The proposal is the latest stage of Australia’s broader online-safety programme.

Since 10 December 2025, age-restricted social-media platforms have been required to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts. The eSafety Commissioner identifies Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit among platforms subject to the restrictions. (eSafety Commissioner)

By mid-December 2025, age-restricted platforms had removed access to about 4.7 million under-16 accounts, according to information reported by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner in January 2026. (eSafety Commissioner)

The government is now moving from age-based access rules towards broader questions about platform design and recommendation systems.

That shift is particularly relevant to platforms built around algorithmic discovery. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner explains that TikTok’s personalised “For You” feed selects videos using an algorithm that considers signals including likes, comments, shares and viewing behaviour. (eSafety Commissioner)

Australia’s tourism economy gives the digital debate added weight

This policy discussion is taking place while Australia’s visitor economy is recording substantial expenditure and employment.

Official Tourism Research Australia figures show 8.5 million international trips in the year ending March 2026. Holiday travel accounted for 3.7 million trips, 14% higher than the comparable March 2025 level. (Tourism Research Australia)

Holiday visitors spent A$13.5 billion in Australia, an increase of 22%. Total international trip expenditure reached A$57.6 billion, including spending inside and outside Australia, up 16% from the previous corresponding period. (Tourism Research Australia)

The wider economic footprint is also significant. Tourism GDP reached A$81.1 billion in 2024–25, representing 2.9% of Australia’s economy, according to Tourism Research Australia using Australian Bureau of Statistics data. (Tourism Research Australia)

Tourism Research Australia reports 727,000 tourism jobs in March 2026, up 4% year on year and equivalent to 4.5% of Australian jobs. (Tourism Research Australia)

Those numbers explain why changes affecting digital customer discovery deserve attention from the visitor economy, even when the underlying regulation is not specifically targeted at tourism.

Airlines hotels and tourism operators enter a more choice-driven digital environment

The implications should be stated carefully.

There is no official Australian government forecast showing that My Feed My Way will reduce airline bookings, hotel demand or destination-marketing performance. Claims that it will automatically cut tourism reach would therefore go beyond the available evidence.

What changes is the environment in which marketing takes place.

Airlines routinely compete for attention around new routes, fares and destination inspiration. Hotels use visual content to promote properties and experiences. Tour operators and local attractions depend on digital channels to place experiences in front of potential customers.

Destination organisations similarly use images, short videos and user-generated content to inspire trips.

If the legislation proceeds as proposed, Australians would have an explicit choice over whether their default feed contains algorithmically recommended personalised material. (Prime Minister of Australia)

That does not mean tourism content disappears. Nor does it mean Australians would stop seeing travel material.

It means marketers cannot automatically assume every user will experience social-media discovery through the same type of personalised recommendation system.

Tourism businesses may need to think beyond algorithmic discovery

Australia’s tourism sector already has a broad digital-marketing ecosystem. Social media is only one component.

Tourism Australia provides resources covering social-media content and industry marketing, while tourism operators maintain websites, databases and other direct customer channels. Search engines, travel platforms, online travel agencies and traditional media also continue to influence destination decisions.

The proposed regulation therefore does not amount to a restriction on Australia tourism marketing.

Instead, it could create more variation in how consumers encounter travel content on social platforms.

For smaller tourism operators, that distinction may be particularly relevant. Businesses that have built audiences around viral or recommendation-led distribution could need to pay closer attention to followers, direct engagement and content that audiences actively choose to see.

Again, this is an industry implication rather than a measured effect of the legislation. The proposal remains under consultation.

Australia enters the debate with tourism capacity expanding

The potential marketing shift comes as the physical capacity of Australia’s visitor economy is also expanding.

Tourism Research Australia’s annual benchmark data show Australia had 340,662 accommodation rooms in establishments with at least 10 rooms in 2025. Average accommodation occupancy was 72.9%, an increase of 1.9 percentage points from 2024. (Tourism Research Australia)

International aviation capacity reached 27.9 million seats in 2025, up 7.5%, while the international load factor stood at 82.6%. Domestic aviation provided 74.5 million seats. (Tourism Research Australia)

International visitor spending in Australia reached a record A$39.2 billion during 2025, according to Tourism Research Australia. (Tourism Research Australia)

These figures show a visitor economy with growing capacity and substantial competition for customers. How destinations and tourism companies communicate with potential travellers therefore remains commercially important.

Social media remains part of Australia’s official tourism toolkit

Tourism Australia’s own guidance makes clear that social media remains part of its tourism-industry toolkit.

Its programme uses major platforms to encourage conversations about Australia, while its educational resources help operators understand social trends and produce effective content. (tourism.australia.com)

This is why My Feed My Way creates an intriguing intersection between digital regulation and tourism.

The policy is concerned with online choice and safety. Tourism marketers, meanwhile, operate inside many of the same digital systems that the government proposes to regulate.

The two policy areas are separate, but they meet at the point where Australians discover content.

What changes for international travellers?

For overseas visitors planning an Australian holiday, the proposed algorithm measure does not create a new visa, border, aviation or entry requirement.

There is no official indication that travellers will need additional documents because of My Feed My Way. It does not alter Australia’s immigration system or airport procedures.

Travellers should therefore distinguish Australia’s online-safety reforms from travel-entry policy.

The immediate significance lies in the digital environment. Visitors and Australian consumers could encounter destination content differently depending on their platform settings and whether personalised recommendation features are enabled.

What happens next?

The Digital Duty of Care legislation released on 8 September is draft legislation undergoing targeted consultation. (Prime Minister of Australia)

That means implementation details matter. Tourism businesses should avoid treating proposed requirements as settled law until the parliamentary and regulatory process advances.

Australia’s broader visitor-economy policy continues separately. Tourism Research Australia notes that the THRIVE 2030 Action Plan to 2030, launched in February 2026, continues to focus on modernising businesses and strengthening workforce capability. (Tourism Research Australia)

The important development for tourism marketers is therefore not evidence of an immediate collapse in social-media reach. It is the emergence of a policy framework that could give consumers more say over the recommendation systems through which travel inspiration is often delivered.

FAQs for travellers

Will Australia’s new algorithm rules affect tourists entering the country?

No new border requirement has been announced as part of My Feed My Way. The proposal concerns social-media feeds and digital platform responsibilities, rather than passports, visas, aviation security or immigration procedures. (Prime Minister of Australia)

Will travellers still be able to see Australian tourism content on social media?

Yes. The proposal does not ban tourism content or social media. It would give users a choice over whether their default feed includes personalised content recommended by an algorithm. (Prime Minister of Australia)

Are Australia’s under-16 social-media restrictions already in force?

Yes. They took effect on 10 December 2025. Age-restricted platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts, although publicly available content that does not require an account can still be viewed. (eSafety Commissioner)

Conclusion

Australia’s recent proposals regarding user choice of internet algorithms would expand upon already developed country-specific online legislation. Negatively, these policies may impact tourists’ capacity to engage with Australia via social media. Tourism Australia has used social media to engage the tourism industry and, according to the data available, the tourist industry contributes significantly to Australia’s economy. The proposed policies are currently under evaluation. How the traveling public engages with Australia’s tourism industry may change as a result of the policies. Other travel and tourism stakeholders need to track the proposed changes. (Prime Minister of Australia)