WHISE points to Australian studies on misogyny and online recommendations

Women’s Health in the South East has called for algorithmic feeds to be opt-in for people under 18, citing two Australian studies on misogyny, online radicalisation and student behaviour.

The organisation wants the Digital Duty of Care legislation now under consideration to require recommendation systems to stay off by default for children.

WHISE Chief Executive Officer Kit McMahon argued the evidence is already clear. “A child cannot consent to a feed nobody asked them about,” Ms McMahon said.

One study, Misogyny, Online Radicalisation, and Youth Extremism in Australia, came from Dr Sara Meger at the University of Melbourne. It surveyed 1,122 young people aged 13 to 17 and 2,307 adults.

That research found one in four boys aged 13 to 17 agreed with statements endorsing violence to resist feminism. It also found hostile attitudes towards women were the single strongest attitudinal predictor of support for violent extremism.

Dr Meger’s report concluded misogyny is not only a social issue but also a national security issue in Australia.

Monash teachers report sexism in schools

A second study, Duty of Care, was released by Monash University on 28 August 2026. It surveyed more than 2,600 teachers.

According to that survey, 78% had observed or experienced sexism or misogyny at school. Another 70% had seen manosphere content shaping student attitudes in the past 12 months.

Meanwhile, teacher data collected by Dr Meger recorded children as young as six refusing instruction from women.

Both studies found online environments amplify these attitudes rather than create them from nothing. WHISE says recommendation systems then carry that material to children at scale.

Consent advocate Chanel Contos has proposed applying affirmative consent to platform design, so an algorithmic feed becomes something a person chooses to turn on. Dr Meger’s fifth recommendation calls for algorithmic accountability and age-differentiated recommendation systems.

WHISE coordinates the Promoting Respect and Equity Together partnership across 10 local government areas and 1.56 million people. Across that region, 60 partner organisations are delivering 44 primary prevention projects.

Ms McMahon said making feeds opt-in is a decision already in front of government and would do more for a generation of boys than continued debate about whether the problem is real.