Ed Husic
AI/Machine Learning

After 2 years of talking about how important AI is, the government is going to spend the next 12 months developing a capability plan

- December 16, 2024 2 MIN READ

The federal government will develop an artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities plan for Australia to figure out what support is needed and how it can be used to bolster the economy. Industry and science minister Ed Husic announced on Monday that his department will consult with industry to develop a National AI Capability Plan. The final… Read more »

kids video games
Gaming

Before Australia banned social media for under 16s, China tried to stop kids playing video games – and here’s what happened next

- December 10, 2024 3 MIN READ

In late November, Australia’s federal parliament passed landmark legislation banning under-16s from accessing social media. Details remain vague: we don’t have a complete list of which platforms will fall under the legislation, or how the ban will look in practice. However, the government has signalled that trials of age assurance technologies will be central to… Read more »

Politics

Australia’s social media ban for under 16s might be law now, but how it’s supposed to work remains a mystery

- December 1, 2024 4 MIN READ

The federal parliament has passed legislation to ban people under 16 from having an account with some social media platforms. In doing so, it has ignored advice from a chorus of experts – and from the Australian Human Rights Commission, which said the government rushed the legislation through parliament “without taking the time to get… Read more »

Ed Husic
Politics

Industry and science minister Ed Husic wants you to know something is going to happen, soon

- November 13, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Albanese government’s industry and science minister Ed Husic swung by the Tech Council of Australia’s summit in Melbourne today to let them know things are going to happen. Traditionally, politicians rock up to events with big, bold announcements. Husic announced that he’s going to be making announcements. It’s nearly a year since the minister… Read more »

Global tech

Australia’s plan to ban under 16s from social media is yet another messy global fight over science

- November 8, 2024 4 MIN READ

As governments worldwide move to restrict teenagers’ access to smartphones and social media, a fierce scientific debate has erupted over whether these digital technologies actually harm young people’s mental health. The controversy, sparked by an influential recent book blaming phones for rising youth anxiety, has exposed deep uncertainties in the research evidence – even as… Read more »

digital ID
Cyber security

Australia’s digital ID plan doesn’t meet global privacy standards- here’s what the government need to do to fix that

- October 30, 2024 3 MIN READ

Australia’s new digital ID system promises to transform the way we live. All of our key documents, such as driver’s licences and Medicare cards, will be in a single digital wallet, making it easier for us to access a range of services. The federal government is still developing the system, with a pilot expected to… Read more »

smart devices connected at home
Cyber security

The Australian government wants to set minimum cybersecurity standards for smart things in your home

- October 16, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Australian government has introduced its first-ever standalone cyber security act. Along with two other cyber security bills, it’s currently being reviewed by a parliamentary committee. Among the act’s many provisions are mandatory “minimum cyber security standards for smart devices”. This marks a crucial step in defending the digital lives of Australians. So what devices… Read more »

Man holding a smartphone and viewing messages on mobile phone. Fake Text message SMS scam or phishing concept.
Cyber security

Why the Australian government’s proposed scam prevention plan needs a broader scope

- September 17, 2024 3 MIN READ

The federal government is stepping up its fight against scams, which last year cost Australians more than A$2.7 billion. On Friday, the federal treasury released a draft scam prevention framework. The government said the plan is: an economy‑wide reform to protect the Australian community from scams. It takes a whole‑of‑ecosystem approach to reduce gaps which… Read more »

Mark Zuckerberg
Data

Facebook admits it scraped data from Australian users without letting them opt out. Here’s how to protect yourself

- September 13, 2024 3 MIN READ

Facebook acknowledged in a Senate inquiry yesterday that it is scraping the public photos of Australian users to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models. Facebook’s parent company Meta claims this excludes data from users who have marked their posts as “private”, as well as photos or data from users under the age of 18. Since… Read more »

Kids on phones
Politics

We asked 5 experts if parents should worry about social media and 60% said no – here’s why

- September 12, 2024 2 MIN READ

The Albanese government has announced it will introduce a social media ban for children. The government has not yet nominated a minimum age but is trialling age-assurance mechanisms for those aged 13–16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the legislation will be introduced this year. This follows criticism from a range of experts, who argue it… Read more »

ACCC Social media
Politics

JUST SAY YO: Why politicians need to think of social media more like sex, and focus on education over abstinence

- September 11, 2024 3 MIN READ

The federal government has committed to a national plan to ban children from social media. Details are still scarce. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has acknowledged that “no government is going to be able to protect every child from every threat, but we have to do all we can”. But banning children from social media isn’t… Read more »

Ed Husic and Andrew Dzurak
Politics

Here’s what Australia needs to do to succeed with its high-stakes quantum gamble

- August 29, 2024 4 MIN READ

Last week, quantum computers were added to Australia’s Defence and Strategic Goods List of controlled items facing export restrictions. That’s because quantum technologies – which may soon provide huge advances in computing, communication and sensing – are rapidly growing in strategic importance. The AUKUS partnership between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom includes… Read more »

Climate Tech

New climate reporting laws, kicking off in 2025, passed the Senate last week. Here’s the opportunity for climate tech startups

- August 27, 2024 3 MIN READ

The Australian Senate passed the new laws last week, setting in place a new climate-related financial disclosure regime that kicks off at the start of 2025 for Australia’s biggest companies, then trickling down to others in the coming years. While the Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and Other Measures) Bill 2024 doesn’t sound like… Read more »

Meerkats
Data

What’s next for Australia’s Consumer Data Right after action initiation – and the lessons from overseas

- August 23, 2024 4 MIN READ

Despite being drafted and tabled in the Australian Senate in 2022, the Action Initiation Bill was only passed last week. Action initiation would transform the Consumer Data Right (CDR) from merely a data-sharing framework into a dynamic system that empowers consumers to take action based on the insights they gain. The CDR was created to… Read more »