Social Media
Google pushes back on YouTube ban for kids
Google has pushed back against the idea of including YouTube in Australia’s proposed under-16 social media ban, warning it’s considering legal action.
As Callum Godde and Paul Sakkal report in The Sydney Morning Herald, in a letter to Communications Minister Anika Wells, the company argued the move could breach the Constitution’s implied right to political communication.
A YouTube spokesperson said the platform isn’t social media and provides “benefit and value” to young Australians.
YouTube ramps up fight to avoid kids ban
YouTube is making a final push to stay off the under-16s social media ban list, arguing it’s not a social platform and slamming the move as a sudden policy shift.
As Josh Butler writes in The Guardian Australia, Google is hosting a glitzy YouTuber event in Parliament House this week to win over decision-makers.
But the PM isn’t biting, Albanese flagged concerns about the platform’s content and dismissed Google’s legal threats.
Business
Nine weighs its next move after Domain deal
Nine is set to bank $1.4 billion from its Domain stake, with attention quickly shifting to what it might sell next.
Insiders are eyeing its radio assets, especially after dealmaker John Wylie’s Tanarra Capital quietly took a stake earlier this year.
But as John Buckley details in Capital Brief, with a new chair and CEO search underway, Nine’s future shape is very much in play.
Companies
Gwyneth Paltrow fronts cheeky comeback for scandal-hit tech firm
After a viral CEO scandal at a Coldplay gig, US data company Astronomer has enlisted an unexpected face for damage control: Gwyneth Paltrow.
In a playful 60-second promo posted to X, Paltrow, who was famously married to Coldplay’s Chris Martin, answers mock FAQs like “OMG! What the actual f”, pivoting smoothly to a plug for Astronomer’s data tools and upcoming conference.
As Jamie Whitehead reports for the BBC, the clip, now viewed over 27 million times, strikes a deliberately absurd tone as the company tries to reset the narrative.
Agencies
DiDi goes full weird in push to take on Uber
DiDi is turning heads with a surreal new ad campaign featuring a flute-playing character named Nudgy leading a group of mates on a chaotic night out via DiDi rides.
According to Danielle Long in The Australian, the campaign is aimed squarely at young, budget-conscious riders, the campaign ditches safe for strange, running across social, radio, OOH and brand activations.
Created by Sunday Gravy and directed by Jim Hosking, it’s DiDi’s boldest attempt yet to shake its second-place status.
Legal
Alan Jones’ loan ledger could pull in big names
Alan Jones’s legal drama may be about to rope in some very high-profile company. Police have seized a secret ledger from his Sydney home detailing loans made to a string of media, sport and business figures.
As Steve Jackson details in The Australian, the carefully kept document names everyone who borrowed money, with exact amounts recorded.
Insiders say the list reads like a who’s who, meaning the scandal could widen well beyond Jones.
Journalism
The Age and Sydney Morning Herald land 15 Kennedy Award nods
The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald picked up 15 finalist spots at the Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism.
As Roy Ward writes in The Sydney Morning Herald, Nick McKenzie’s Building Bad series on building industry corruption leads the charge, also part of a joint entry with Nine, AFR and 60 Minutes.
Sarah Danckert and Carla Jaeger are finalists for their story on underworld influence at ASX tech firm Dubber.
Radio
Kyle Sandilands slammed for homophobic rainbow house jibes
Kyle Sandilands faced backlash after mocking a Melbourne man’s rainbow-coloured holiday home on air.
Brunswick hairdresser Mykey O’Halloran called the comments “vile” after Sandilands made crude jokes and stereotypes about the house and its owner.
As Jackie Epstein details in The Daily Telegraph, the incident adds to ongoing criticism of Sandilands’ provocative style crossing the line.