Albanese Government Weighs AI Opt-Out Rule for Billions of Australian Web Posts
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 16
Albanese Government Weighs AI Opt-Out Rule for Billions of Australian Web Posts
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 16
Summary
Leaked proposal papers show the Albanese government is considering an opt-out copyright model that would let AI companies train on Australian internet content unless users actively refuse.
Under current Australian law, companies must seek permission first; the proposed shift would reverse that burden onto individuals through an opt-out mechanism critics say is unproven.
More than 200 copyright cases are already live globally over AI training, underscoring the legal risk as writers, artists, publishers and record labels challenge scraping practices.
The proposal follows government efforts to attract AI investment after OpenAI argued existing copyright rules hinder local model training, while creatives, independents and Greens lawmakers have pushed back.