This Month
Publishers prepare to take on TikTok over news
News publishers have successfully campaigned to have TikTok-owner ByteDance included in the government’s revised media bargaining rules.
- Tess Bennett
Manhunt for US executive’s killer becomes a search for motive
Luigi Mangione, charged with last week’s gruesome New York murder, has drawn a wave of morbid admiration.
- Oliver Barnes, Zehra Munir and Aiden Reiter
Stubborn Assad’s fall was unexpected. But the signs were always there
Bashar al-Assad missed numerous opportunities to recast himself both at home and abroad.
- Liz Sly
The female luxury designer defying fashion’s downturn
Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu brand is enjoying a boom, even in China, as rivals suffer from a broad pullback in spending.
- Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli
Is this the year of the sober office Christmas party?
Employers are ditching traditional drinks for team building events such as crafts and sports.
- Emma Jacobs and Eri Sugiura
November
‘Black Friday sale on VPNs’: Social media ban faces early obstacles
Big tech has 12 months to comply with new laws that block children under 16 from accessing platforms, setting up Australia as a high-profile test case for the globe.
- Tess Bennett
Australia bans social media for under 16s. What do other countries do?
Australia has approved a social media ban for children aged under 16, one of the world’s toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.
- Reuters
Zuckerberg, Trump hold tense meeting to repair ties
The president-elect once called for the Facebook founder to be jailed for “plotting against” him over the 2020 election. Mark Zuckerberg is trying to make amends.
- Mike Isaac, Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Theodore Schleifer
- Analysis
- Explainers
Worried about the social media ban for kids? Read this
The pioneering age-limit laws are set to be approved by the Senate on Thursday. Here’s what we know (and just as importantly what we don’t know) about how they will work.
- Paul Smith
Bronzed Bali Body seeks capital injection to fund growth spurt
The founders of the self tanner and skincare company are hoping to catch a wave of offshore interest from international buyers.
- Carrie LaFrenz
‘Nanny state’: Top techies slate rushed social media laws
Australia’s tech sector was stunned at being given only 24 hours to respond to new social media laws, and warns they are ill-defined and risk unintended consequences.
- Paul Smith
Meta gains steam to push age verification upon app store giants
As Australia investigates age verification methods, the social media company wants the responsibility to fall upon the likes of Apple and Google rather than individual providers.
- Cristiano Lima-Strong, Cat Zakrzewski and Andrea Jiménez
Chris Ellison’s wife is inside out at MinRes
Tia Ellison appeared in a mystery Perth property deal, which saw MinRes take a $45 million stake.
- Mark Di Stefano
Principals back social media ban but won’t give up YouTube
Two veteran educators say YouTube will likely still be used by teachers in the classroom, even if students are banned from using it.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
$85k a year wasn’t worth this influencer’s childhood
PR maven Roxy Jacenko says she regrets letting her daughter Pixie Curtis have a public social media account, despite the income it generated.
- Updated
- Amelia McGuire
Feeling lonely? You’re probably making 3 mistakes
Technology and loneliness are interlinked, stoked by the ways we interact with social media, text messaging and binge-watching. Here are some solutions
- Brian X. Chen
- Opinion
- The AFR View
Social media age ban is good for kids and parents
Labor’s move to now run hard on the issue of young peoples’ safety online will resonate with millions of average mums and dads.
- The AFR View
- Opinion
- Social media
Big tech should stay in the sin bin until children are safe online
New laws could be less about booting kids off platforms and more about denying companies the ability to host young users unless they prove their products are safe.
- Rys Farthing
Canberra takes on big tech – and Gen Alpha – with social media bans
All Australians could be forced to register official identity documents with social media giants to prove they are over the age of 16.
- Paul Smith
How a ‘family smartphone’ can help keep kids off social media
No one has a landline any more, but one Brisbane family has found benefits in sharing a spare smartphone.
- Tess Bennett