Thailand and Cambodia make progress towards peace deal
Talks between Thailand and Cambodia this week have made "meaningful progress", Thai defence minister Natthaphon Narkphanit said on Thursday, ahead of ...
Google and Facebook-owner Meta Platforms urged the Australian government on Tuesday to delay a bill that will ban most forms of social media for children under 16, saying more time was needed to assess its potential impact.
Google and Facebook-owner Meta Platforms urged the Australian government on Tuesday to delay a bill that will ban most forms of social media for children under 16, saying more time was needed to assess its potential impact.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left government wants to pass the bill, which represents some of the toughest controls on children's social media use imposed by any country, into law by the end of the parliamentary year on Thursday.
The bill was introduced in parliament last week and opened for submissions of opinions for only one day.
Google and Meta said in their submissions that the government should wait for the results of an age-verification trial before going ahead.
The age-verification system may include biometrics or government identification to enforce a social media age cut-off.
"In the absence of such results, neither industry nor Australians will understand the nature or scale of age assurance required by the bill, nor the impact of such measures on Australians," Meta said.
"In its present form, the bill is inconsistent and ineffective."
The law would force social media platforms, and not parents or children, to take reasonable steps to ensure age-verification protections are in place. Companies could be fined up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for systemic breaches.
The opposition Liberal party is expected to support the bill though some independent lawmakers have accused the government of rushing through the entire process in around a week.
A Senate committee responsible for communications legislation is scheduled to deliver a report on Tuesday.
Bytedance's TikTok said the bill lacked clarity and that it had "significant concerns" with the government's plan to pass the bill without detailed consultation with experts, social media platforms, mental health organisations and young people.
"Where novel policy is put forward, it's important that legislation is drafted in a thorough and considered way, to ensure it is able to achieve its stated intention. This has not been the case with respect to this Bill," TikTok said.
Elon Musk's X raised concerns that the bill will negatively impact the human rights of children and young people, including their rights to freedom of expression and access to information.
The U.S. billionaire, who views himself as a champion of free speech, last week attacked the Australian government saying the bill seemed like a backdoor way to control access to the internet.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Talks between Thailand and Cambodia this week have made "meaningful progress", Thai defence minister Natthaphon Narkphanit said on Thursday, ahead of the potential signing of a broader ceasefire agreement.
The U.S. military conducted strikes against two vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five alleged drug smugglers, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday. The operation marks an expansion of the Trump administration’s use of the armed forces in its counter-narcotics campaign.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 23 October, covering the latest developments you need to know.
European leaders aim to put on a show of support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on Thursday after a rollercoaster few days that saw Donald Trump announce and then back away from plans to meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
The Netherlands will vote on Wednesday, 29 October, after the collapse of the previous coalition, with far-right leader Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) leading polls ahead of rivals focused on housing, healthcare and immigration.
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