If you were forwarded this email (Hi! Welcome!), you can sign up to the newsletter here.
Good morning!
It’s a very special holiday today for the entire planet - it’s Global Optional Newsletter Appreciation Day. The holiday, observed annually on March 27 by newsletter publishers and readers around the world, is (as the name suggests) entirely optional. But it’s about supporting the newsletter writers you rate by helping them build their audiences on as many of their newsletters as you can handle.
Happy GONAD, everyone! If you’re up for getting around the day, sign up for TDA’s other epic newsletters. Don’t leave us hanging.
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “I wake up every night, in the middle of the night, every night, and in the darkness, I imagine her terror.”
Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie in her first TV interview after her 84-year-old mother Nancy Guthrie was abducted. Nancy was last seen at her Arizona home on January 31 and was reported missing the following day. She still hasn’t been located by authorities.
The stat: 1. The number of women in history to be ordained as the Archbishop of Canterbury, as of Thursday, when former nurse Sarah Mullally was appointed to the role.
The big question:
If you could afford to buy a home but it meant buying somewhere you didn't want to live, would you do it?
Yesterday’s results: 51% of you said you would prefer having a lower salary with a better work-life balance than a higher salary with more stress. [2,686 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
State and federal leaders are set to hold emergency talks on the developing fuel crisis next week. National Cabinet is expected to discuss a range of possible rationing measures to ease demand for petrol and diesel. Experts are warning that recent oil price shocks could hit shoppers hard in the coming weeks, as fuel restrictions impact food deliveries. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has called on the Government to ensure fuel reaches stations that have run dry. Earlier this week, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said around 500 petrol stations had run out of fuel around the country.
Australia and Germany have announced plans to host members of each other’s militaries, as Europe looks to rely less on the U.S. Defence Minister Richard Marles and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius announced they’ll work on a status of forces agreement, creating a legal framework for troops to operate from each other’s countries. Marles said this arrangement will be “hugely important” for shaping their shared military cooperation. Pistorius echoed the point, highlighting the need to prepare for a new era in world politics. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made similar comments during her visit to Australia this week. It’s a move that signals closer ties between Australia and Europe on security.
Recommendation of the day
How global power plays shape the economy
Big global events don’t just affect politics, they shape how money moves, how countries trade, and how markets react.
More and more, countries are using economic tools – like trade rules and supply chains – to influence what happens next. It’s part of a shift often called “geoeconomics”.
So what does that actually mean in real life – and why does it matter right now?
I’ve got 1 minute
On Wednesday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced that Iranians with visitor visas will not be allowed to enter Australia.
It follows changes to temporary visa holders passed earlier this month, allowing the Government to ban groups of visa holders if it deems them at risk of overstaying.
Human rights advocates and the Greens have criticised the move, saying the Government has “shut the door on protection for people with a visa to come here.”
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
On 12 March, the Government passed a law allowing it to block citizens of a country at war from coming to Australia on a temporary visa for up to six months at a time.
The change meant the Government could make decisions about whole groups of people at once, rather than assessing people individually. Determinations are made if there are events, such as a conflict, that the Government believes could cause groups of people to overstay their visa.
Iran
This week, Burke determined the new law would apply to people with Iranian passports attempting to visit Australia. The restriction will bar them from entering the country for six months. Exemptions will be made for immediate family members of Australian citizens and permanent residents.
The Home Affairs Department said it had spoken to Australian Iranian community leaders about its decision.
Comments
Burke said “many visitor visas” granted before the conflict “may not have been issued if they were applied for now.”
“Decisions about permanent stays in Australia should be deliberate decisions of the Government, not a random consequence of who had booked a holiday,” he said.
Burke added that the Government “will adjust settings as required to ensure Australia’s migration system remains orderly, fair and sustainable.”
Criticism
Greens Senator David Shoebridge criticised the announcement, questioning the statement that the Australian Iranian community was consulted.
“But if they did, you get no credit for betraying someone while looking them in the eye,” he said.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said the decision is a “massive betrayal,” calling it “a heartless move that adds unnecessary trauma and harm.”
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, Emma and Sam chat through the landmark ruling against Meta and Google, and why a jury concluded the apps were designed to be addictive.
💶 If we offered you a way to wake up on a Sunday morning to a whole newsletter of good news, would you take it? We think you should - sign up to The Good Newsletter here for a positive read this weekend.
Good finds
🍴 Get up to 50% off at thousands of restaurants, bars and cafes near you with EatClub. New to EatClub? Get $15 off your first redemption with code TDA15 (Expires 15th April 2026, new users only). Download EatClub here.
*Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.
I’ve got 2 minutes
A U.S. court has found social media companies liable for negligent app design that caused mental health issues and addiction in young people.
It found they “knew, or should have known” young people would become addicted to their apps and warned them.
Meta and Google (YouTube) must collectively pay $US6 million ($AU8.6 million) in damages to the complainant, known as ‘KGM’.
Both companies will appeal the verdict.
Background
This was the first of a series of trials against social media companies including Meta, YouTube, Snap, and TikTok.
Lawyers for a 20-year-old woman, known by the initials KGM, alleged she developed a social media addiction and other mental health issues from her use of major platforms.
One of the claims was that Meta’s features, such as the “infinite scroll,” led her to engage with “content that proved harmful”.
They alleged social media companies “intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive to children and teens”.
The lawyers argued these companies’ algorithms “promote compulsive use” with “never-ending feeds” and notifications.
In January, TikTok and Snap settled their cases hours before the trial began. No details are known about the terms of the settlements or how much money they involved.
Meta chose not to settle. Both Instagram leader Adam Mosseri and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified at the trial.
During the trial, media in the courtroom reported Zuckerberg was questioned about user safety, social media age limits, and the availability of features like beauty filters.
“If people feel like they’re not having a good experience, why would they keep using the product?” Zuckerberg said.
Mosseri said: “It’s important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use.”
He compared young people’s use of Instagram to “watching TV for longer than you feel good about”.
Verdict
On Wednesday (U.S. time), a jury determined Meta and YouTube were negligent in their platforms’ design and operation, and failed to warn vulnerable users of the risks.
Speaking to press after the trial, one of KGM’s lawyers, Mark Lanier, said these failures were “substantial contributing factor[s] to harming KGM”.
Lanier said the jury found Meta is liable for 70%, and YouTube 30% of the harm.
Together, the companies must pay $US3 million ($AU4.3 million) in compensation, and another $US3 million in punitive damages (similar to a fine).
Response
In a statement, a Google spokesperson said the company will appeal the verdict.
“The case misunderstands YouTube,” the spokesperson said, calling it “a responsibly built streaming platform”.
Speaking outside the courtroom, a Meta spokesperson said it also plans to appeal.
“Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app,” the Meta spokesperson added.
Other cases
Thousands of similar cases against Google, Meta, TikTok, and Snap are due in courts across the U.S. this year.
KGM’s lawyers said the outcome of this trial “shows how juries may react when they hear evidence that social media design choices can harm young users.”
Australia
Heads Up Alliance (HUA) is a grassroots organisation pushing for social media and smartphone-free childhoods.
Speaking to TDA, HUA Co-Founder Dany Elachi called the verdict “vindication”, and “more motivation” for parents to “keep their children away from these harmful products in future.”
Elachi believes the outcome is “momentum” to help globalise Australia’s under-16s social media ban.
“That is one of the many tools that now countries will be looking to employ in restoring childhood,” he said.
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
A message from LivaNova
March is Epilepsy Awareness Month, and for the one in three Australians with epilepsy whose seizures aren't controlled by medication, the journey can feel relentless. Drug-resistant epilepsy doesn't just mean more seizures – it can mean limitations on independence, work, relationships, and quality of life.
But there are options beyond medication. Awareness of those options starts with conversation. LivaNova Australia is committed to ensuring no one with drug-resistant epilepsy feels like they've run out of roads.
Give me some good news
Credit: Med-Tech Innovation News
A new pair of AI-powered glasses could give people with dementia a helpful boost.
The glasses have a camera, microphone, and speakers, and a built-in assistant called Wispy gives verbal cues and visual reminders. For example, it might check in while someone’s making tea with a friendly, “How’s that kettle doing?” After a trial, three-quarters of participants said they were still feeling the benefits an hour after taking the glasses off. It’s an encouraging step toward tech that can support everyday life for those living with dementia.
Reporting by Adella Beaini.
TDA titbit
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump had a special guest at an AI White House event on Wednesday: a humanoid robot.
Trump was attending ‘Fostering the Future Together’, aimed at introducing AI into education.
The robot called itself ‘Figure 03’ and joined Trump as she greeted guests from more than 45 countries, including France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron.
During the conference, Mrs Trump said: “The future of AI is ‘personified’ – it will be formed in the shape of humans. Very soon artificial intelligence will move from our mobile phones to humanoids that deliver utility”.
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
TDA asks
