This Month
Social media giants in crosshairs for Australian addiction lawsuits
Emboldened by this week’s landmark US verdicts against Meta and YouTube, local plaintiff law firms are eyeing off class actions against the tech behemoths.
Sign of things to come: Meta, Google’s ‘Big Tobacco’ moment
The $8.6 million in damages awarded to a young plaintiff will barely register on the companies’ balance sheets, but the fallout could be more damaging.
Influencers are earning big money to make one sector young and hip
They are helping cruises shake off the image that such holidays attract older travellers and those mostly interested in all-inclusive drinks packages.
Meta and Google found liable in US social media addiction trial
The verdict could mark a turning point in the global backlash against their platforms’ perceived mental health harms to kids and teens.
Influencers invited back to Chalmers’ budget – with a catch
Cheek Media’s Hannah Ferguson, Milly Rose Bannister and other politics and finance social media creators have been asked to submit a “content proposal”.
He sold A Cloud Guru for $2b. Now his next start-up is worth $100m
Cuttable has an AI platform that makes digital ads in bulk. Founder Sam Kroonenburg says vibe coding means it is growing faster with fewer staff.
After the social media ban, old-school hobbies make a comeback
Teens looking for different ways to connect with friends are discovering new, or perhaps old, ways to occupy their time.
Fines loom for social media giants as kids give ban 100-day fail mark
A hundred days into the under-16 social media ban, the government is keeping quiet on numbers that would reveal how many children have carried on as normal.
Why Gen Zs are spending big on fragrances they’ve never smelt
The old rules for marketing scents no longer apply. In the social media age, it’s all about influencer clout and #PerfumeTok.
Chef quits top-rated Noma over allegations of staff abuse
After 23 years running the Copenhagen restaurant, considered one of the world’s most innovative, René Redzepi is leaving over claims of physical assaults.
Can a $979 LED face mask really make you look younger?
The glow-up devices are among the latest skincare trends taking over social media, and experts are looking into whether the results claimed justify the hype.
Aussies turn to VPNs as Pornhub cuts nudity to protest new laws
Australians remain locked out of the world’s most popular pornographic website, but plenty of adult platforms are flouting new age verification laws.
‘Admin night’ TikTok trend is a symptom of a toxic culture
The latest social media hack is an expression of America’s unhealthy relationship with work and its complicated discomfort with leisure.
McDonald’s CEO goes viral with awkward video of him eating burger
He held up the item for viewers, revealing a tiny missing nibble and – defying what everyone had just seen – declared: “That’s a big bite for a Big Arch.”
Adult sites block Australian users ahead of age bans
Pornography websites have taken a blunt approach to comply with new laws requiring users to verify they are over 18 when accessing R-rated video games and websites.
February
AI slop replaces corporate spin as execs get it wrong on LinkedIn
If there’s an upside to the proliferation of artificial intelligence in online posts it’s a new game – bullshit bingo.
Law must catch up with Zuckerberg’s big tech addictive platforms
A regulatory focus on product design could help address a wide range of digital harms including compulsive use.
Zuckerberg overruled 18 experts warning about Instagram
The Meta chief executive has taken the stand in a Los Angles court as the US technology giant fights a claim that its software is addictive for children.
Australia doubles down as Snapchat boss says ban is backfiring
Evan Spiegel, the CEO of Snap, which owns social media platform Snapchat, said Australia’s block on under-16s using social media was “a massive experiment”.
Small business revolts over unexplained, catastrophic Meta bans
Nancy McDonald, who founded online homewares company La Casa, is threatening to sue the company behind Instagram after it all but accused her of fraud.
