Italian lawmakers have put forward a draft bill to address social media addiction by making platforms more responsible for how they share content.
Senators from the opposition Democratic Party presented the proposal on Wednesday. The bill aims to hold online platforms accountable for how their algorithms deliver content, especially as Europe looks more closely at the social impact of digital services. The bill targets both user profiling and the lack of transparency in recommendation systems.
Bill targets profiling and opaque recommendation systems
The proposal centers on two main changes: platforms would need to stop automatically profiling users and give clearer explanations of how their algorithms decide what people see.
Reuters says the bill wants platforms to take more responsibility for how content reaches users, while The Economic Times notes it calls for more transparency about how content is ranked and recommended.
Instead of banning certain posts, the bill focuses on regulating the systems that decide what content is shown or repeated to users.
Antonio Nicita frames the issue around design, not just content
Senator Antonio Nicita from the Democratic Party, who used to serve on Italy’s communications watchdog Agcom, is the main spokesperson for the proposal.
Nicita says that whenever someone opens a social network, algorithms decide what they see, aiming to keep them online longer. The draft law states that algorithmic design is not a technical detail but a business decision with real effects.
This shows the bill is shifting the debate from individual posts to how platforms are built to engage users.
The bill arrives amid wider pressure on Big Tech
The Italian proposal comes as Europe is taking a closer look at big digital platforms. It also follows a recent U.S. ruling that found Meta and Google responsible for designing platforms that can harm young people.
This context is important because it puts Italy’s proposal within a larger international debate: should platform companies be judged not just for the content they host, but also for the systems they use to keep users engaged?
The bill is part of a broader effort to address the social impact of algorithmic design.
Cross-party support is possible, but politics remain open
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s conservative coalition has not yet commented on the proposal. However, Nicita believes the issue could gain support from different parties. He called it a bipartisan issue and pointed out that there is already agreement on banning some practices that affect minors.
This is important because other political groups are also pushing for stricter rules: the League party has proposed banning social media for children under 14.
Italy’s debate is moving from content moderation to platform design
The bill is notable because it focuses on how platforms work, not just on moderating speech. Nicita says the main issue is how algorithms are designed, not just the content they show.
This difference could matter if the proposal moves forward, as it suggests Italy wants to address the systems that keep users glued to the screen instead of just adding more moderation rules.
Overall, the draft bill points to a shift in Europe’s tech regulation, moving from removing content to rethinking the digital incentives that drive online attention.
