If you’re a young person in Australia, you probably know new social media rules are coming in December. If you and your friends are under 16, you might be locked out of the social media spaces you use every day. Some people call these rules a social media ban for under 16s. Others say it’s… Read more »
Meta has begun warning users it suspects are under 16 that their accounts will begin to be deactivated under the teen social media ban, as it investigates why Instagram already won’t let some users create accounts. On Thursday, Meta was the first tech company to announce its plans for complying with the government’s social media minimum age… Read more »
Recently, I had a tough conversation with my 12-year-old son. Australia had just announced that from December 2025, no one under 16 will be allowed to create a YouTube account. The idea is simple: protect kids from harm. But here’s the problem – this ban won’t do what it promises. In fact, it risks making… Read more »
Just 18 months after serial entrepreneurs Gabby and Hezi Leibovich, teamed up with two young founders keen to take on Linktree with their own digital landing page startup, they’ve gone from trying to beat them to joining them. Linktree has acquired Fingertip, a Melbourne platform helping freelancers, creators, and small businesses manage and grow their… Read more »
Right now, more than 311,000 Australian Facebook users can apply for a slice of a A$50 million compensation fund from tech giant Meta – the largest ever payment for a breach of Australians’ privacy. But the clock is ticking. Even if you’re eligible, you only have until December 31 2025 to make your claim. Similar… Read more »
Google has strongly criticised Australia’s impending ban of under-16s holding social media accounts after its popular video streaming platform YouTube was added to the ban following a federal government backflip. YouTube was expected to be exempt from the nation’s social media age ban, set to begin on 10 December, after the legislation was first introduced by the… Read more »
Twenty-one years after Facebook’s launch, Australia’s top 25 news outlets now have a combined 27.6 million followers on the platform. They rely on Facebook’s reach more than ever, posting far more stories there than in the past. With access to Meta’s Content Library (Meta is the owner of Facebook), our big data study analysed more… Read more »
The Australian government today released regulatory guidance on the social media minimum age law, which comes into effect on December 10. The law will restrict individuals under 16 from holding accounts on many social media platforms. Reasonable steps for tech companies This guidance follows a self-assessment guide for technology companies recently released by the eSafety… Read more »
Wable, a social networking app for neurodivergent people, inspired by the ABC TV series Love on the Spectrum, has raised $1.5 million to expand in the US and UK. The round was led by Paul Sharbanee from Taurus Capital. The app is designed to connect neurodivergent people for friendship, dating, jobs, and support, filling a… Read more »
The government’s trial has found age-assurance for its under-16 social media ban can be done effectively and protect privacy but there is not a one-size-fits-all model. The report, from an independent company and released in full, also warns continued vigilance is needed on privacy and other issues. It found some providers, in the absence of… Read more »
US artificial intelligence giant OpenAI, is looking to open a base in Sydney by the end of 2025. The company behind ChatGPT, now worth around A$750 billion, has been busy signing local deals over the past 12 months, including with UNSW and most recently, the Commonwealth Bank, as well as ramping up its lobbying efforts… Read more »
In less than four months, world-first legislation will ban Australian under-16s from certain social media platforms. Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, X, Reddit and YouTube will all be off limits for children and teens. It’s still not clear exactly how the restrictions will be implemented. But the federal government says social media platforms must take “reasonable… Read more »
Elon Musk’s Twitter, now rebranded as X, has gone down for a second time in court trying to avoid a $610,500 penalty imposed by Australia’s eSafety Commission for failing to properly respond to requests for information on how it tackles child sexual abuse material on the social media site X Corp initially failed to report on how… Read more »
The Albanese government has decided to include YouTube accounts in its ban on access to social media for those under the age of 16. The decision will be controversial with many social media users, especially young people, and face resistance from the company. YouTube, owned by Google, has threatened to sue if it were included… Read more »
When Sue Keay’s Facebook account was hacked, Meta didn’t warn her of the obvious problem, it preferred to go nuclear and deleted all her accounts. It’s a reminder that digital sovereignty matters. There used to be a lot of different ways that people could connect with me but please know that you are no longer… Read more »
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