Social media
How would a social media ban actually work?
Almost a quarter of children aged eight to 10 use social media, as do half of 13-year-olds. How would new laws banning them from apps actually keep them off?
- by Paul Sakkal and David Swan
Latest
Investigation
Harassment
The tiny town with a big problem: a serial pest who targets women
Businesses and community groups in a NSW town – including the Country Women’s Association – have banned Andrew Thaler after years of “community abuse”.
- by Jordan Baker
Drinking, smoking ... now social media: New laws to ban children from apps
The prime minister will announce the plan on Tuesday as governments seek to solve a problem “no generation has faced before”.
- by David Crowe and Paul Sakkal
Exclusive
Scams
Up to $50m fine for banks, telcos, social media firms in war on scams
Labor will give its financial watchdog new powers to force companies to compensate customers who lose money and to punish operators who don’t police their sites.
- by David Crowe
‘It’s highly manipulative’: The dark side of app streak culture
From Snapchat and TikTok to Duolingo and Strava, streak features have been all the rage since the 2010s. But are they actually any good for us?
- by Nell Geraets
Dance like millions are watching: The new TikTok craze at your local arcade
Dance Dance Revolution and Dancerush Stardom players have taken to social media to show off their skills on the classic arcade games.
- by Frances Howe
MPs say ‘no place in parliament’ for candidate who celebrated October 7 attacks
The candidate at the centre of the social media storm broke his silence to say: “As a doctor, as a Muslim, as a human, killing civilians is never right.”
- by Matthew Knott
Exclusive
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Tony Burke rival shared post celebrating October 7 attacks
Jewish community leaders said the Facebook post by the prominent GP showed he was “manifestly unfit to stand as a candidate for any office”.
- by Matthew Knott
Exclusive
Instagram wants parents to have power to block access to its own apps
After calls for Facebook to be blocked for children, top Meta executives will tell politicians the best place to restrict access is as people download an app.
- by Paul Sakkal
Opinion
Elon Musk
The far right is the only place left for Elon Musk’s X-rated ego
Many are wondering how the poster boy for futurism ended up sounding like a conspiracy-theory-spouting uncle. But what if we’re all missing the point?
- by Joan Westenberg
Musk’s troubles in Brazil grow as Starlink threatened
“The Brazilian judiciary may have given an important signal that the world is not obliged to put up with Musk’s far-right ideology just because he is rich,” Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said.
- by Daniel Carvalho