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.
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.
‘One Battle After Another’ takes best picture prize at the Oscars
Australia’s Rose Byrne and Jacob Elordi missed out on golden statues as “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” battled for Academy Awards supremacy.
What to expect at this week’s Oscars
This has been an unusually fluid season in which several categories still feel wide open as we head into Monday’s (AEDT) awards ceremony.
Heard the one about Ricky Gervais helping to sell an Aussie’s vodka?
Spiky comedy is helping former banker Chris Fraser toast his success as his vodka brand goes from strength to strength in Britain.
I run Xero. These are my business lessons to win the AI game
Operational history shows that “transformers” such as Google often win by learning from pioneers. Here is how to time the artificial intelligence shift.
February
English Premier League to launch streaming service in global shake-up
An online platform will be available in Singapore next season and could be rolled out to other overseas markets.
‘FCC you’: Stephen Colbert says interview spiked over Trump fears
The late-night host rebuked his own network, claiming he was stopped from airing an interview with a Democratic candidate because of the Trump administration.
Want to get more done? This is the best music to work to
Listening to music at work can help you stay focused, build creativity and block out distractions, scientists say, although for some tasks silence may be best.
The reason Jake Paul cried and cried at the Olympics
The social media millionaire caused a spectacle by turning on the waterworks after his Dutch speed skater fiancee captured first place in the 1000 metres.
Behind One Nation’s battle to win the story wars
Some believe modern politics can be boiled down to the idea that those who tell the best stories will rule the future. It’s a view the party has embraced.
Snapchat offered to lock kids out of features. Government said no
The number of local teenage accounts closed by Snapchat has been disclosed after it tried to dodge Australia’s social media ban by offering major app changes.
January
Nine pivots away from radio, regional TV with $850m QMS deal
The publishing and broadcasting giant says the transactions, and a third to offload regional television stations to WIN, would create a higher growth business.
Amazon pumped millions into ‘Melania’. Ticket sales are soft
Presale tickets for a new movie about America’s first lady have been low ahead its release, raising concerns Amazon paid too much for the rights.
Government’s social ban numbers include deleted, duplicate accounts
The government has lauded the removal of 4.7 million child social media accounts but that figure includes duplicated, inactive and even deleted accounts.
Almost 5m accounts blocked in first month of social media ban
Data on deactivated accounts was released after the social media giants reported their progress, but it is not clear how many new accounts have been created.
She blew the whistle at Meta. Then her career fell apart
After exposing the harms of big tech, many whistleblowers say, they have faced poorer job prospects and professional exile in Silicon Valley. They have no regrets.
The 27-year-old TikToker taking over literary criticism
Jack Edwards found Pride and Prejudice disappointing and says that he hates Dickens. That hasn’t stopped him becoming the most influential man in the book world.
