News

JobKeeper ‘failed’ early-stage tech firms

The government’s JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme has “failed” early-stage pre-revenue tech companies, with more support needed following the September cut-off, a Parliamentary inquiry has heard. The Select Committee on...

Labor seeks cybersecurity strategy briefing

Labor has demanded a briefing from the government on it’s massive $1.35 billion cybersecurity strategy and assurance that work is being done to improve information security of the public...

More rare earths processing moves offshore?

Australian Strategic Materials’ (ASM) Korean research and development partner, ZironTech has successfully produced a kilogram of neodymium metal alloy. While this would normally be seen as a win for...

DTA battles huge staff turnover issue

The continued high level of staff turnover at the Digital Transformation Agency is “very alarming” according to the Opposition, with the agency experiencing near-100 per cent turnover in the...

One third of firms to amend RDTI claims

Up to a third of all companies accessing the R&D tax incentive may have some of their claim clawed back, with the government still planning to introduce retrospective changes...

Michael Kirby on technology and the law

Former High Court Justice Michael Kirby and the current director general of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Australian Francis Gurry will formalise the creation of the Australian Society for...

DTA hands new contracts to BCG and Deloitte

Boston Consulting Group has landed a near $300,000 deal to provide whole-of-government ICT advice, while Deloitte will receive more than $400,000 for three weeks’ work on a new online...

Govt outsources R&D tax scheme compliance

A Canberra-based accounting firm is now assessing some claims under the research and development tax incentive after the federal government went ahead with its plan to outsource elements of...

On poaching HK tech talent and companies

Australia will introduce a range of incentives in an effort to attract high-growth export companies from Hong Kong and will fast-track special talent tech visas from the country. Following...

Towards a blended education system in Australia

As nearly a million Australians deal with job losses, and unemployment creeps up to 7.1 per cent, it is hard to find the positives of COVID-19. Yet over the...

Digital trust and sovereign cyber capability

For a government that has turned its attention to sovereign capability and supply chain issues in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, industry growth centre AustCyber has come up...

Mixed finding on COVIDSafe privacy: Research

The researchers behind a new report used by the federal government to tout COVIDSafe as “the most secure” contact tracing app in the world say that a decentralised model...

Encryption laws need judicial oversight: INSLM

The power to issue and authorise encryption-busting notices needs to be taken away from agency heads and the government and vested in a new judicial oversight body, the government’s...

New OAIC investigation into Clearview AI

The Australian Privacy Commissioner has officially launched an investigation into controversial facial recognition tool Clearview AI. Clearview AI, based in the US and founded by an Australian, offers a...