This Month
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.
- Mark Di Stefano
November
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.
- Anna Nicolaou
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
- 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
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.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
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?
- Ali Watkins
‘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
- Opinion
- Social media
Why banning kids from social media might do more harm than good
It could be futile trying to ban teenagers from platforms that are their chief means of communicating. Far better to make them more aware and resilient through education.
- Jacqueline Jayne
Labor leaves YouTube out of under-16s social media ban
The government initially said YouTube would be caught under new laws banning people under 16 from using social media. Its view has since changed.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
US regulators seek to break up Google, force Chrome sale
The US government wants to break up the tech behemoth and make it sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser, to stop an abusive monopoly.
- Michael Liedtke
‘Anti-woke’ companies set to boom under Trump
Some in the president’s inner circle invest in the “parallel economy” of companies financing gun sales and a right-wing alternative to YouTube.
- Hannah Murphy, Stephen Gandel and Patrick Temple-West
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
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
YouTubers horrified by prospect of social media bans
Australians who make shows aimed at children on YouTube say they could lose their jobs if a blanket ban on social media includes the video sharing platform.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones and Euan Black
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
October
Netflix’s co-CEO says it’s ‘impossible’ to run the $500b giant alone
Greg Peters once wanted to be an astronaut – now he’s leading a company worth more than Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery combined.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Alphabet delivers earnings beat but investors wary of AI hit on Google
Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of the world’s second-largest technology company, says the search engine giant can move quickly to respond.
- Amelia McGuire
- Opinion
- Extreme weather
Americans are moving closer to climate risk. This is why
Individuals and businesses have been willing to ignore the longer-term financial and human risk of extreme weather in favour of the short-term gains.
- Rana Foroohar
September
They have 31m followers - but you’ve never heard of these YouTube superstars
Bounce Patrol has more followers than Beyonce, operates out of a quiet Melbourne street, and is helping YouTube transform from the home of DIY videos to a major TV broadcaster.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
