This Month
Inquiry outlines plan to tame social media giants
The federal government should increase pressure on social media giants by improving enforceability of Australian law on the most popular platforms, an inquiry has recommended.
- Tom McIlroy
Advertisers set to return to X as they seek favour with Musk and Trump
Media executives said brands were preparing to advertise on X again, as its billionaire owner was likely to gain influence in the White House.
- Hannah Murphy, Daniel Thomas and Eric Platt
Why this former TikTok executive wants a strict social media ban
TikTok hired Felicity McVay to convince Disney, Universal and the AFL to use the platform more. Now she’s campaigning to get children off it.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Populist attacks on supermarkets serve no one
Readers’ letters on attacks on Coles and Woolies; social media age bans; Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation; a fix for high-density development; the UN climate conference; and the Senate’s financial services inquiry.
Government to pursue tech giants for social harm
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland says Canberra will introduce a “digital duty of care” that could punish platforms for causing systemic trauma.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
She was a child Instagram influencer. Her fans were grown men.
“Jacky Dejo” was introduced to social media by her parents as a snowboarding prodigy. Now 18, she has seen the dark side of the internet — and turned a profit from it.
- Jennifer Valentino-DeVries and Michael H. Keller
- Opinion
- Child safety
Social media ban doesn’t trust parents to raise their kids
If Canberra truly wanted to support families, it would invest in digital literacy rather than wielding a sledgehammer.
- Constantine Frantzeskos
$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
No case for free tertiary education
Readers’ letters on the Greens’ push for free tertiary education, the rise in wind and solar projects, Kevin Rudd’s future after the election of Donald Trump and a teen’s view on restricting social media until the age of 16.
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
- Opinion
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
- Analysis
- US election
Trump’s social network deserted but the party rages on elsewhere
Donald Trump’s army of Australian Truthers are well into their victory lap – everywhere other than his own dedicated social network.
- Amelia McGuire
ASIC commissioners confirm Qantas chairman’s lounge access
ASIC chairman Joe Longo and deputy chairwoman Sarah Court have confirmed they have access to the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge; the regulator has also confirmed a MinRes probe. Here’s how the day unfolded.
- Updated
- Gus McCubbing
‘Harming our kids’: PM announces social media ban for under-16s
In a potential early flashpoint with Trump ally Elon Musk, the government will bring in big fines for social media companies that break the proposed laws.
- Paul Smith
October
Too many influencers are spoiling the boom
More than half of Gen Z now want to be social media influencers – which means fewer of them will be able to quit their day jobs to do so.
- The Economist
Rock stars and Wiggles: Google takes on big tech rules
The search giant is bankrolling parties and events that are an unsubtle reminder to the government of its huge power.
- Paul Smith and Sam Buckingham-Jones
Israel apartment bombing captured in rare detail
NSW government unlawfully collected $144m in card fees; Lehrmann wins cost appeal; former Abercrombie & Fitch chief arrested on sex-trafficking charges. Follow the latest news here.
- Tom Burton
Reddit’s ‘LinkedIn Lunatics’ shames the platform’s creepiest posts
On the subreddit, 670,000 members lament the rise of “insufferable” content on the Microsoft-owned professional networking site.
- Alicia Tang