Denham Sadler, Information Age

Denham Sadler is a freelance journalist based in Melbourne. He was previously Editor of StartupSmart, and writes on tech and politics. His work has been published in The Saturday Paper and The Guardian.

Alastair Macgibbon
Cyber security

Tech giants are ‘wilfully blind towards criminality on their sites’ says Australia’s former cybersecurity boss

- November 1, 2024 3 MIN READ

Social media companies are being “contemptuous” to the Australian people and have done “nothing” to help protect their users from scams and crimes, according to former government cyber security tsar Alastair MacGibbon. MacGibbon, who after a 15-year career with the Australian Federal Police served as special adviser to the Prime Minister on Cyber Security and… Read more »

Twitter, X, rebrand, Elon Musk
Global tech

Elon Musk’s microblogging site tried to avoid a $610,500 Australian government fine because its name changed – but lost in court

- October 9, 2024 3 MIN READ

X’s attempt to have a $600,000 fine thrown out as it was issued to its previous company name has been rejected by an Australian court, in a significant legal win for the eSafety Commissioner. Federal Court of Australia Justice Michael Wheelahan ruled on Friday that X could not wriggle out of an Australian government infringement… Read more »

Caroline Ellison
Cryptocurrency

Caroline Ellison, who ran the FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s trading firm, handed 2-year sentence over the crypto fraud

- October 1, 2024 3 MIN READ

 Caroline Ellison, the ex-girlfriend of crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried who turned star witness against him, has been sentenced to two years in prison over her role in the $16 billion FTX cryptocurrency scam. Ellison was the CEO of Alameda Research, the trading branch of Bankman-Fried’s cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Alameda was found to have taken funds… Read more »

robot
AI/Machine Learning

Your call is important to our chatbot: CBA looks to AI as customer service replacement

- September 17, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) will test a generative AI-based chatbot that could replace its call centre staff as part of Australia’s largest financial institution’s expanded use of AI technology. On Tuesday, CBA announced it would become the first Australian company to use Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) P5s, which are based on Nvidia computer chips supporting… Read more »

Tom Cruise
Politics

The Australian government is threatening quantum founders with 10 years in jail if they export it – even stuff that doesn’t exist – without permission

- August 30, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Australian quantum sector will now face harsh criminal penalties if it shares information or technology, even accidentally, with individuals from overseas after quantum technology was brought under the export control scheme. The Department of Defence unveiled the first changes to the Defence and Strategic Goods List in three years, with quantum computers officially added.… Read more »

Ed Husic and Andrew Dzurak
Politics

Labor’s updated science priorities add AI, quantum and robotics to the tech stack

- August 13, 2024 3 MIN READ

The federal government has unveiled a new science statement and accompanying priorities that include a focus on harnessing artificial intelligence for good and preparing for its impact. Minister for Industry Ed Husic released new versions of Australia’s National Science and Research Priorities, which will guide the nation’s public and private research focus and investment over… Read more »

Richard Marles
Global tech

AWS signs $2 billion ‘top secret’ cloud deal for defence with the Australian government

- July 5, 2024 2 MIN READ

Amazon Web Services will build a bespoke cloud environment to handle top secret Defence and intelligence data as part of a $2 billion deal with the federal government. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles announced the partnership between the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Thursday morning. The… Read more »

Politics

The audit office is investigating an 11x blowout in legal costs on the federal government’s $466 million PsiQuantum deal

- July 3, 2024 3 MIN READ

The national watchdog will investigate the federal government’s contract with a major law firm to provide legal advice on its near-$1 billion PsiQuantum deal after it increased by more than 10 times in just nine months. The federal and Queensland governments earlier this year announced a $940 million investment in US firm PsiQuantum that will… Read more »

Australian Parliament House
Politics

I Psi-ed with my EOI: Details from $940m PsiQuantum deal reveal local startups were played by the federal government

- June 26, 2024 3 MIN READ

The federal and Queensland governments have officially signed the near-$1 billion contract with US firm PsiQuantum, as newly released documents shed some light on the process leading up to the major deal. It was announced earlier this year that the federal and Queensland governments would be inking a $940 million deal with PsiQuantum for the American firm… Read more »

People

Tech jobs are jostling for a place on the Australian government’s new skilled migration visa list

- June 5, 2024 2 MIN READ

Consultation is underway on whether a range of cyber security-related jobs should be added to Australia’s skilled migration visa list, as the sector faces a widening talent gap. The federal government’s Migration Strategy, unveiled late last year, handed Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) a formal role in developing the core skills occupations list, which will… Read more »

Twitter, X, rebrand, Elon Musk
Social Media

Elon Musk’s X needs to comply with local law when it comes to hate speech, a Queensland tribunal says

- May 29, 2024 3 MIN READ

Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) is liable for hate speech posted on its platform and is subject to local Australian law despite being based in the US, a Queensland Tribunal has found, in a judgement that potentially sets a significant precedent. The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) ruled last week that X is subject… Read more »

Passport, Australian immigration
Politics

Australia scraps Global Talent visa for National Innovation one amid immigration cuts

- May 16, 2024 2 MIN READ

The tech and talent migration programs will be scrapped and replaced with a new National Innovation Visa under major federal budget reforms that will ensure 70% of permanent migration places are set aside for skilled workers. Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the 2024-25 federal budget in Canberra on Tuesday night, outlining a significant overhaul to… Read more »

digital ID
Politics

Budget 2024: Digital ID scores another $288 million towards $1 billion roll out

- May 14, 2024 3 MIN READ

A further $288 million will be provided to the government’s digital identity scheme in the federal budget, bringing its total funding to nearly $1 billion. Treasurer Jim Chalmers will also extend the instant asset write-off test for another year, allowing tech and other businesses to immediately deduct $20,000 from eligible assets. Chalmers will hand down… Read more »