Social Media
TikTok deal edges closer
US and Chinese negotiators have sketched out a framework deal on TikTok after two days of trade talks in Madrid, easing pressure just days before the app faced an American ban.
The Australian’s Rebecca Feng and Lingling Wei write the timing is no accident, with both sides keen to strike a truce that could pave the way for Donald Trump’s potential visit to Beijing.
The final handshake on the deal will come after a scheduled Trump-Xi phone call on Friday, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
New rules set for social media age checks
Social media companies must go beyond birthday boxes to keep under-16s off their apps.
As the country hurtles towards that December 10 timeline – that’s when that social media ban will come into play – The Daily Telegraph’s Ellen Ransley writes the new rules demand layered age checks, not just set-and-forget systems, and require platforms to carefully remove underage accounts with clear communication.
They’ll also need to stop kids from re-registering and provide proper review channels for users who think they’ve been wrongly flagged. Self-declaration alone is no longer acceptable.
Google hires Labor-linked firm ahead of tech reforms
Capital Brief’s John Buckley reports that Google has tapped lobbying outfit Hawker Britton, a firm known for its Labor connections, as it gears up for a policy fight in Canberra.
The move, disclosed on the attorney-general’s lobbyist register, signals the search and advertising giant is getting serious about shaping Australia’s fast-evolving tech rules.
Google, whose portfolio spans YouTube and its Gemini AI model, is also in the government’s sights on media bargaining.
Journalism
The New Daily pulls essay on Charlie Kirk
The New Daily has quietly removed an essay by The Australia Institute’s Amy Remeikis, which criticised US conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in the wake of his death.
Sky News Australia’s Oscar Godsell writes that Remeikis argued Kirk was “continuing his harmful grift… up until his final breath” in a piece titled ‘I am sorry Charlie Kirk is dead, but I cannot mourn him’.
Kirk, 31, was killed while addressing students in Utah earlier this week.
Companies
Court case lifts lid on MCo Beauty sale feud
The bitter fallout from MCo Beauty’s $500 million sale is back in the spotlight, after ex-finance boss Stuart Sher filed an unfair dismissal case naming founder Shelley Sullivan, buyer Dennis Bastas and the company.
As The Australian’s Angelica Snowden reports, court documents allege Bastas accused Sullivan of seeking “incorrect reports” to inflate the brand’s valuation.
Sullivan’s camp says the claims are untested and before the court.
CBA takes trust crown in Roy Morgan rankings
The Australian’s Danielle Long reports that the Commonwealth Bank has overtaken Bendigo Bank to become Australia’s most trusted bank, according to new Roy Morgan research.
The survey shows a sharp rebound in public confidence across the big four, marking their strongest lift in trust since the banking Royal Commission.
CBA jumped five spots to rank as the country’s seventh most trusted brand overall.
Radio
Mark Levy closes restaurant to focus on 2GB role
Morning radio can be brutal, as 2GB’s Mark Levy knows all too well after stepping into Ray Hadley’s shoes this year and copping a tough ratings survey last week.
According to Buzz Rothfield in The Daily Telegraph, Levy has now pulled the pin on his Shire restaurant, Pronto, signalling he’s putting everything into making his mark behind the mic.
His show, which airs weekdays from 9am until 12pm recorded a 1.5% drop in the most recent radio ratings, going from holding a 13% share to an 11.5% one.
Meanwhile, hear what Levy told Mediaweek when he appeared on our Newsmakers podcast following his first ratings result in Hadley’s old chair: