☕️ Tech companies to be liable for user safety

If you’re in the mood for a podcast this morning, I recommend our interview with Australian of the Year Richard Scolyer.

Along with his colleague and friend Professor Georgina Long, the pair were recognised earlier this year for their lifesaving melanoma research.

Richard has dedicated his life to cancer research and treatment, but 18 months ago, his world changed forever when he was diagnosed with brain cancer.

He's since become patient zero for a groundbreaking immunotherapy treatment.

Professor Scolyer joined us on this morning’s podcast to share his story. You can listen here.

“The US presidential election campaign served only to underline what we have considered for a long time: that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.”
The editors of The Guardian in an article explaining why they will no longer post new stories to social media platform X.

4.1%
The unemployment rate in October 2024, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It’s remained at the same level since August.

2001
Microsoft releases Xbox, a video game console system.

The Federal Government wants to legislate a duty of care for social media platforms.

Under the policy, tech companies would have a legal responsibility to stop preventable harms to users, and risk heavy penalties if they failed to act.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said a digital duty of care would help make “online services safer and healthier”.

A duty of care is a legal responsibility to protect someone from “foreseeable harm” — negative impacts that could be reasonably expected.

For example, a school has a duty of care to keep its students safe during an excursion on a sunny day, so it would need to provide sunscreen and ensure students wear hats.

Developing a digital duty of care was a key recommendation of a review of the Online Safety Act handed down earlier this year. It was suggested as a way to put the “onus” on social media companies to protect user safety.

In a speech on Wednesday night, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the Government would commit to a duty of care model.

“What’s required is a shift away from reacting to harms by relying on content regulation alone, and moving towards systems-based prevention,” Rowland said.

Social media companies would need to regularly identify and prevent harms on their platform. Failure to do so would allow the regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, to impose large fines on the company.

The Government is in the process of developing a legislated model of a duty of care as part of a broader suite of reforms to the Online Safety Act.

The Act currently covers all social media platforms, meaning a duty of care would do likewise.

The Government is now going through further consultation on how the duty of care model would work.

Legislation isn’t expected until at least 2025. It will need the support of the Opposition, or the Greens and independents, to pass the Senate.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

Donald Trump’s recent U.S. election win has raised questions over Kevin Rudd’s future as Australia’s Ambassador to the U.S.

The former Prime Minister has served in the role since 2023. However, Rudd has been criticised for deleting negative social media comments he made about Trump before becoming Ambassador.

Now, some Australian politicians and U.S. officials are calling for his resignation.

So, what does an ambassador do? How do they get appointed? And does President-elect Trump have the power to remove Rudd as Ambassador?

A diplomat is a country’s official representative abroad. Diplomats are appointed to carry out their home country’s interests outside their borders.

Under international law, diplomats are generally immune from prosecution inside their host country. Individuals who are granted immunity cannot be prosecuted for certain criminal offences.

An ambassador is a country’s highest-ranked diplomat. They work out of an embassy — their home country’s main office overseas, typically in the host country’s capital city.

An ambassador works with the Government of their host country.

Their role is often to maintain ties and raise concerns when countries disagree. The actions of ambassadors often carry political significance.

For example, when Australia pulled out of a $90 billion submarine contract with the French Government, France’s Ambassador to Australia was recalled.

Recalling is when a diplomat returns home in protest of a host country’s actions.

There are no formal processes for appointing an ambassador.

The Government in power can choose their representative overseas. Rudd was chosen by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who announced the appointment in December 2022.

Australia’s ambassadors to the U.S. are often high-level former politicians.

The three most recent are former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (2023-present), former Liberal Senator Arthur Sinodinos (2020-23), and ex-Liberal Treasurer Joe Hockey (2016-2020).

In 2020, Rudd described Trump as “the most destructive president in history”.

Trump responded to Rudd’s comments during an interview with far-right British politician and commentator Nigel Farage in March.

Farage read out some of Rudd’s criticisms, such as when he called Trump a “traitor to the West”.

Trump implied that Rudd’s future as Ambassador would be uncertain if he was re-elected President. “If [Rudd] is at all hostile he will not be there long,” Trump said.

After Trump’s election victory last week, Rudd removed old social media posts that had been critical of Trump.

Speculation is now building over Rudd’s future. This week, senior Trump official Dan Scavino re-tweeted a congratulatory statement from Rudd to Trump, with a GIF of an hourglass pouring out sand.

When Trump enters the White House in January, he will have the power to strip Rudd of his diplomatic status, forcing him to return to Australia.

Alternatively, if the Coalition wins the next election (due by May) it can appoint a new ambassador of its choice.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

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The 300-year-old coral, located in the Solomon Islands, is 34 metres wide and over five metres high, and can be seen from space. Despite its size, it is one organism, not a reef made up of several corals.

National Geographic’s Pristine Seas expedition team found the coral by accident during a visit to the islands in October. Cinematographer Manu San Félix said the coral is so large he thought it was a shipwreck. Scientists say the coral is in a healthy condition, making it a positive discovery among other reefs bleaching due to warm sea temperature.

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

Forget the Oscars, forget the Logies, it’s time for the year’s best awards ceremony: the Shonky Awards!

Every year, consumer group CHOICE recognises the “terrible products”, brands, and companies it considers Australia’s worst.

The 2024 Shonky Award recipients are:

CHOICE says Meta took the top spot because it failed to protect Aussies from scams.

Meanwhile, NIB’s health cover charges couples an extra 4% to add a child to their insurance plan, but single parents will see their premium double if they add a child. “Now that's shonky,” CHOICE says.

As for the Daily Juice Co’s green juice, it doesn’t contain vegetables. Need we say more?

CHOICE said the Acerpure cordless vacuum, which retails at about $200, “is one of the worst stick vacs we've ever tested.”

The final award-winner is the Grounding Socks, which you plug into a wall to replicate the feeling of being outdoors.

This is your reminder to touch (real) grass today!

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

In January, Professor Richard Scolyer was named joint Australian of the year with his colleague and friend, Professor Georgina Long. The pair were recognised for their lifesaving melanoma research.

Richard has dedicated his life to cancer research and treatment, but 18 months ago, his world was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He's since become patient zero for a groundbreaking immunotherapy treatment, based on the melanoma discovery he pioneered with Georgina Long. Professor Scolyer joins us in today's deep dive to talk about the future of brain cancer treatment, and the legacy he's hoping to carve out.