Social media
Opinion
Opinion
A teen social media ban will drive them to secrecy – that’s exactly what predators want
Teenagers by nature strive to find a way to engage in whatever their parents try to ban. They’re not pet dogs. They will get over fences.
- by Sonia Orchard
Latest
Labor MP considers legal action over Lidia Thorpe social media post
Marion Scrymgour accused Thorpe of using parliamentary privilege to attack other Aboriginal women she perceived as her political foes.
- by Angus Thompson
Opinion
Opinion
Frighten kids from social media? That would be a free ad to lure them
Banning or attempting to scare children from social media won’t work. It might only push them towards more harm.
- by Malcolm Knox
Exclusive
Technology
Social media age ban risks stoking surveillance, tech veteran warns
Blocking social media for children under 16 is technically unfeasible and could result in even more unhealthy scrutiny, according to an expert.
- by David Swan
US surgeon general wants cigarette-style warnings placed on social media
“Social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents,” said Dr Vivek Murthy. “A surgeon general’s warning label...would regularly remind parents and adolescents”.
- by Michelle Chapman
Analysis
Twiggy v Facebook: Decision looms in billionaire’s anti-scam battle
Billionaire Andrew Forrest has now spent years battling Facebook for allowing scam ads, but the problem is only getting worse.
- by Colin Kruger
Analysis
AI
Facebook, Instagram are using your data – and you can’t opt out
If you’re one of the millions of Australians using Facebook or Instagram, Meta is using your data to train its AI – and unlike people in the European Union, you can’t stop them.
- by David Swan
Trump-era Pentagon ran secret anti-vax social media campaign aimed at the Philippines
Hundreds of US-backed social media posts decried the quality of face masks, test kits and China’s Sinovac inoculation, the first vaccine that would become available in the Philippines.
- by Christopher Bing and Joel Schectman
Why is it so hard to find unbiased beauty advice online?
Cosmetic chemist Dr Michelle Wong is using science to tackle beauty misinformation on social media, one claim at a time.
- by Lauren Ironmonger
Exclusive
Child safety
Facebook is scanning some users’ faces to verify age. The Coalition wants laws that go further
The Coalition says, if elected, it will push for laws forcing social media platforms to check users’ ages before creating new accounts. Meta is already doing it for some.
- by Paul Sakkal
Opinion
Opinion
Thirteen is too young to be on social media. We have an idea to fix that
At present, there is no minimum age requirement under Australian law to access social media. That needs to change.
- by Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli