Yesterday
Singing in English a ‘blessing and curse’ for Oz music: Grammy boss
The president of the Recording Academy says singing in English can be a disadvantage outside America – but Australia’s music industry can conquer it.
March
Labor’s latest excuse for YouTube ban exemption
New documents reveal a third reason the Albanese government has exempted YouTube from its social media ban for people under 16: “Broad community sentiment.”
Under fire Facebook returns to its roots: Showing posts from friends
After years of pushing suggested content to users, Facebook has now added a separate news feed featuring posts shared only by people’s friends and family.
The Australian YouTuber who turned down a $30m payday at 19
Jordan Barclay is building what he describes as the media company of the future. Traditional media board directors call him for advice.
‘Irrational and indefensible’ YouTube call was government’s alone
The Albanese government announced YouTube would be exempt from its social media ban without seeking mandatory advice from its eSafety Commissioner.
Donald Trump jnr cashes in on the MAGA economy
ESG and DEI are out as the US president’s son makes lucrative investments that align with his father’s vision of America.
Google Gemini linked to AI-generated deepfake porn, terrorist content
Google’s users have reported its Gemini bot is being used to create deepfake child pornography as well as terrorist material.
Big tech slams ‘sweetheart deal’ for YouTube in social ban
The tech giants say carving out YouTube from a ban on social media for people under 16 would be like banning soft drinks for children but allowing Coca-Cola.
February
YouTube’s social media ban exemption under fire as rivals seethe
The Department of Communications met with Meta, Snap and TikTok to discuss how they’re supposed to age-restrict their platforms, while their rival remains exempt.
How you’re paying for Facebook ads promoting Labor policies
Labor has ratcheted up taxpayer-funded advertising since the start of the year, including $100,000 on Facebook and Instagram ads in the past week.
January
How TikTok, YouTube and X police their platforms
Meta will replace its professional fact-checkers with a “community notes” system. How do other social media companies moderate content?
‘No terrorist to me’: Relatives, friends saw few signs before attack
Little in his outward persona suggested Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar could be responsible for such a brutal attack along one of the most famous US streets.
Suspect in New Orleans terror attack that killed 15 was an army veteran
US President Joe Biden condemned the “despicable” ISIS-inspired attack that 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar carried out on New Year’s Day.
December 2024
How Dungeons & Dragons became cool
The role-playing game, celebrating its 50th birthday, was once a nerdy niche. It’s championing by Hollywood creators has won it unprecedented popularity.
Richard White’s mystery $1b exposure
The former WiseTech CEO did a deal to buy the shares of co-founder Maree Isaacs. It leaves more questions than answers.
November 2024
Murdoch’s Fox News, ‘bro’ podcasts the big winners from Trump victory
Liberal audiences are tuning out while the media baron’s channel attracts record numbers in the United States.
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.
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.
ABC chairman cops ‘watch out’ messages after Joe Rogan criticism
Asked what the ABC could learn from Joe Rogan, the most popular podcast presenter on Spotify, ABC chairman Kim Williams didn’t hold back.
An AI granny is phone scammers’ worst nightmare
Daisy Harris, an AI-generated grandmother, has been stymying fraudsters with meandering, time-wasting conversations. But can she actually make a dent in scams?