Ban engagement-driven algorithms that push provocative content on social media

Summary

Introduce laws to severely limit engagement-driven algorithms that push emotionally provocative news and political content. Require simple, non-algorithmic or chronological feeds by default, and give users a clear option to turn off behaviour-influencing content ranking. In the past, people chose when to watch the news. Today, social media places a permanent stream of news, arguments and outrage in our pockets, driven by algorithms designed to trigger emotional responses. These systems use the same psychological techniques once used in advertising to sell products, but now apply them continuously to beliefs, emotions and identity. We believe that this constant exposure is harming mental health, increasing division, and affecting how people think and vote, without meaningful consent or an off switch.

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Timeline

1. 10 February 2026

   Petition

   Introduce laws to severely limit engagement-driven algorithms that push emotionally provocative news and political content. Require simple, non-algorithmic or chronological feeds by default, and give users a clear option to turn off behaviour-influencing content ranking. In the past, people chose when to watch the news. Today, social media places a permanent stream of news, arguments and outrage in our pockets, driven by algorithms designed to trigger emotional responses. These systems use the same psychological techniques once used in advertising to sell products, but now apply them continuously to beliefs, emotions and identity. We believe that this constant exposure is harming mental health, increasing division, and affecting how people think and vote, without meaningful consent or an off switch.

   Source: Petition

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