Social Media
YouTube Kids avoids teen ban as government draws the line
YouTube Kids will dodge the federal government’s upcoming teen social media ban, giving platforms a potential playbook for keeping under-16s on board, ads and all.
As Olivia Ireland reports in The Sydney Morning Herald, the main YouTube platform, however, has been added to the list alongside Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X and Facebook, with the ban set to kick in on December 10.
Rules outlining which services are captured will land in parliament this week, as the government pushes ahead with its online safety crackdown.
Publishing
Solstice Media buys Australian Traveller in latest growth move
Solstice Media has acquired Australian Traveller, its second big buy since raising millions earlier this year. The indie publisher is chasing scale, following its June purchase of the 7am podcast.
As Sam Buckingham-Jones details in The Australian Financial Review, already behind InDaily, SA Life and The New Daily, Solstice now counts 11 titles in its portfolio. CEO Paul Hamra says more acquisitions are on the cards as the company accelerates national expansion.
Hamra confirmed acquisitions are core to the plan, backed by big-name investors like Fred Woollard and Piers Grove. “Solstice is on a growth trajectory,” Hamra said. No signs of slowing down.
Television
Blair op-ed takes aim at the ABC’s billion-dollar relevance
In a sharp op-ed, Daily Telegraph columnist Tim Blair imagines an Australia without the ABC, and likes what he sees. He argues that in a modern media market full of choice, there’s little justification for a billion-dollar public broadcaster.
Blair suggests the ABC survives more out of habit than need, calling it a “monstrosity” that sparks outrage whenever reform is floated.
His kicker? Defending the ABC has become a strangely conservative crusade for the progressive left.
AI
ChatGPT adds study mode to tackle AI misuse in unis
OpenAI has launched a new “study mode” for ChatGPT, aiming to steer students towards learning, not cheating.
As Dan Milmo details in The Guardian, the tool breaks down complex topics step-by-step, adapting to the user’s knowledge level and goals, like a digital tutor with better manners.
The move comes as unis scramble to manage a spike in AI-driven academic misconduct. A UK survey found AI-related cheating more than tripled in a year, with 7,000 confirmed cases across campuses.
Streaming
Happy Gilmore 2 drives Netflix to record-breaking debut
Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 has shot straight to No. 1 on Netflix, pulling in a massive 46.7 million views in just three days. It’s now the biggest U.S. opening weekend ever for a Netflix film.
The sequel dropped on July 25 and quickly outpaced Sandler’s other streaming hits like Murder Mystery and Hubie Halloween. Not bad for a golf comedy nearly three decades in the making.
As Joe Otterson, Rebecca Rubin write in Variety, it’s a win for both Netflix and Sandler, whose long-running deal with the streamer just keeps delivering.