From Anderson Cooper on CNN to Alastair Campbell on The Rest is Politics podcast, global media coverage of the Australian under-16 social media ban has really been quite something.
Some of the coverage in the US had a bemused tone about it. But the intention of the ban certainly resonated: the news of the ‘ban’ at first glance has drawn support around the world.
The former political strategist Alastair Campbell talking about the new social media regime in Australia simply noted how refreshing it was to see a sovereign government deciding what it thinks is best for its young citizens and acting on it – regardless of the criticisms of the tech corporations.
It might have been the story of the week, but the start of the social media ban was nearly swamped by Communications minister Anika Wells travel budget.
Things are serious when you have to refer yourself to the independent parliament watchdog, a pre-emptive move designed to enable her to get out in front of media to sell the social media ban, as Michelle Grattan wrote so eloquently this week.
The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has been copping even more ‘pressure’ and unpleasantness that usual since the introduction of what she calls the “social media delay.”
Ms Inman Grant was surprisingly open in an interview with David Swan at the Nine papers about some of what she is dealing with. It is well worth a read. She is putting in place our own government’s policy, give her a break.
Elsewhere in the news this week, we spoke to Defence CIO Chris Crozier about what is one of the most critical technology roles in the country.
The conversation coincided with Defence announcing it would give itself at least another year to phase out some of its hard-to-shift legacy tech.
A couple of other big stories this week. The first is the release of the 2025 Startup Muster, which revealed a dramatic reduction in the average number of full-time staff at Australian startup, a drop of nearly 50 per cent.
This impact on startup employment tracks with what is being seen overseas, and will no doubt be closely watched by policymakers.
The other was that in a week in which the government said it had abandoned plans to establish an AI Advisory Panel, the Australian Research Council announced funding for eight new ARC Centres of Excellence – two of which are focused on quantum technologies.
Of the two quantum Centres of excellence, one is focused on scaling quantum computing technologies based at UNSW – which spawned the hardware companies Diraq and Silicon Quantum Computing – and one focused quantum cryptography and AI based at the University of Sydney.
It’s not a lot of money, but it has to be a good thing that the ARC is extending a decades-long pursuit of quantum technologies.
In the news this week:
- Social media ban takes effect as High Court challenge looms – InnovationAus
- The Rest is Politics – podcast
- Australia’s new ban on social media takes effect – CNN
- Anika Wells refers herself to independent watchdog – The Conversation
- ‘People want me to fail’: The woman in charge of enforcing Australia’s social media ban feels the heat – SMH
- Defence CIO Chris Crozier opens up on frontline tech – InnovationAus
- Defence gives itself more time to phase out legacy tech – InnovationAus
- Govt abandons plan for external AI Advisory Body – InnovationAus
- Quantum boost as Research Council dishes new funds – InnovationAus
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