Australia’s Proposed Social Media Rules Reshape Creator Discovery for Brands

For CMOs in gaming, esports and entertainment, the quiet assumption that algorithmic discovery is the default, and most reliable, lever for reaching social audiences has been upended by new proposed legislation out of Australia. First reported by Tubefilter earlier this week, the bill would mandate that major social platforms including Instagram offer users a clear, no-extra-cost choice between the standard algorithmically curated "For You" style feed and a reverse-chronological feed limited only to accounts they actively follow. Framed as a user autonomy and digital well-being measure, the proposal carries profound implications for how brands and creators build and reach audiences, particularly in high-engagement verticals like gaming and esports where algorithmic amplification has long been a core lever for campaign reach and creator growth. Industry observers note that while the legislation is currently limited to Australian markets, its passage could set a global regulatory precedent that reshapes platform design and creator marketing strategy for brands operating worldwide.

The proposed rules, part of amendments to Australia’s Online Safety Act, would require platforms to present the feed choice as a default option during account setup and in persistent, easily accessible settings menus, rather than burying chronological options in hard-to-find submenus as many currently do. For brands that have built social campaigns around the predictable, scalable reach of algorithmic feeds, the shift introduces a new, unquantifiable variable to audience targeting and creator partnership planning, one that could upend years of established best practices for gaming and entertainment marketing. Tubefilter’s reporting notes that Instagram’s parent company Meta has pushed back against the measure, arguing that algorithmic feeds are core to user experience and platform value, a stance that signals a likely legal and lobbying fight if the bill advances to a parliamentary vote.

The proposed Australian legislation would require all major social platforms to offer users a clear, no-cost choice between algorithmic and reverse-chronological feeds by default. According to early industry analysis, more than two-thirds of new Instagram users currently discover new creators and brands exclusively through algorithmic "For You" style feeds. For gaming brands, which often partner with mid-tier and emerging creators to reach niche, hard-to-access audiences, the loss of guaranteed algorithmic amplification could make campaign reach far more variable, and force a shift in partnership strategy toward creators with already established, loyal followings that users will actively seek out in chronological feeds.

For the past decade, algorithmic feeds have been the backbone of creator discoverability on major social platforms, allowing emerging gaming and esports creators to grow their audiences beyond their existing personal networks without significant upfront marketing spend. A creator posting gameplay highlights, esports tournament recaps or entertainment commentary could rely on the platform’s algorithm to push their content to users who had expressed interest in similar content, even if those users did not follow the creator already. This system created a low-barrier path to audience growth that fueled the rise of the creator economy, and allowed brands to partner with mid-tier creators to reach niche audiences at a fraction of the cost of working with top-tier influencers.

The proposed Australian legislation would dismantle that default dynamic, giving users the power to opt out of algorithmic curation entirely. For creators, this means that follower growth will slow for those who have relied on algorithmic amplification to reach new audiences, and that engagement will become concentrated among existing followers rather than new, algorithm-served users. For brands, this means that the reach of creator partnership content will no longer be scalable in the same way: a post from a mid-tier creator will only be seen by their existing followers if those followers have opted for chronological feeds, rather than being pushed to thousands of users who do not follow the creator but have expressed interest in similar content. This will likely drive up the cost of creator partnerships, as brands compete for access to creators with large, loyal followings that will appear in chronological feeds for a larger share of users.

Gaming, esports and entertainment brands have been among the biggest beneficiaries of algorithmic social feeds, using them to promote new game releases, tournament tickets, streaming events and merchandise to broad, targeted audiences without the need for users to follow their official accounts. A new fighting game launch, for example, can be pushed to users who follow fighting game content creators, even if those users do not follow the game’s official account, driving awareness and pre-orders at a scale that would be impossible with only organic, follower-based reach. The proposed legislation would eliminate that scalable reach for users who opt for chronological feeds, forcing brands to rethink how they allocate their social media budgets.

According to early estimates from creator marketing industry groups, brands that currently allocate 40% or more of their social media budget to algorithmic reach campaigns will need to rethink their core discovery strategies if the bill passes. Many will likely shift budget toward partnerships with high-following, established creators whose audiences are already loyal enough to seek out their content in chronological feeds, rather than relying on algorithmic pushes to reach new users. Others may invest more in building their own follower bases, offering exclusive content or perks to users who follow their official accounts to ensure their content appears in the feeds of users who opt for chronological curation. For esports tournament organizers, this may mean investing more in pre-event content that drives followers to their official accounts, rather than relying on algorithmic pushes to reach casual fans who do not follow their accounts.

Australia’s proposed legislation is not an isolated move: the EU’s Digital Services Act already requires large platforms to offer users transparent options to adjust or disable algorithmic recommendations, and several U.S. states have introduced comparable bills in recent months that would mandate similar feed choice requirements for platforms operating in their jurisdictions. Even if the Australian bill is modified or struck down during the legislative process, the broader global regulatory trend toward user control over algorithmic feeds is unlikely to reverse, as policymakers around the world cite concerns about algorithmic amplification of harmful content, user well-being and platform monopolies as core justifications for the rules.

For global brands operating across multiple markets, this means that a one-size-fits-all social strategy will no longer work. A campaign that relies on algorithmic reach to drive awareness in markets where users default to algorithmic feeds may fall flat in markets where a large share of users have opted for chronological feeds. Brands will need to build flexible campaign frameworks that can adapt to different feed environments in different regions, and invest in data and technology that can measure campaign performance across both feed types. Some industry analysts predict that platforms will begin offering premium tools for brands to reach users even in chronological feeds, creating new cost structures and targeting options for marketing teams to navigate.

Will this legislation affect our current creator partnership contracts? No, the proposed legislation does not alter existing creator contracts, but it may impact the performance metrics you use to measure campaign success, as reach from algorithmic feeds will no longer be guaranteed for all users. You may need to adjust campaign KPIs to account for variable reach across feed types.

Should we pause our social media campaigns until the bill’s status is clear? No, pausing campaigns is not recommended. Instead, use this period to test hybrid strategies that combine algorithmic and follower-based reach, and audit your creator partnerships to identify which partners have the most loyal, opt-in followings that will ensure content appears in chronological feeds.

How will this impact creator pricing? Creator pricing may rise for partners with large, loyal followings, as their content will appear in chronological feeds for users who opt out of algorithmic curation, making them more valuable for guaranteed, consistent reach.

At Miela, we have long held that the most durable creator-brand partnerships stem from authentic alignment between a creator’s loyal audience and a brand’s target demographic, rather than reliance on temporary algorithmic amplification. The Australian legislation, and the broader global regulatory trend toward user control over content feeds, underscores the limitations of depending on platform algorithms as a core reach lever: when users control what content they see, the only guaranteed audience is the one a creator has built through genuine connection and consistent value delivery.

Our proprietary talent matching technology is built to surface that alignment, mapping creator audience engagement, loyalty and demographic data to brand goals to deliver consistent, measurable campaign performance regardless of feed design. As regulatory and platform changes continue to reshape social media ecosystems, this human-first, tech-amplified approach to creator marketing will be the difference between campaigns that adapt to change and those that are derailed by it.

Tubefilter — Instagram would be very sad if users could choose what content they see