What the Australian under-16 YouTube ban means
The ban, set to commence in December, aims to protect minors from harmful content and algorithm-driven exposure, following a survey indicating high rates of harmful content on YouTube.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese affirmed the government 's commitment to child safety online, stating they would not be swayed by threats from social media companies.
YouTube maintains it is a video-sharing platform, not social media, and has urged the Australian government to reconsider its decision.
The move reflects increasing concerns over AI-driven misinformation and the unchecked power of large technology firms, with the Federal Communications Minister vowing not to be intimidated by legal challenges.
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The Guardian
14 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Palestinian statehood vote at Victorian Labor conference heaps more pressure on PM
Victorian Labor members have voted to immediately recognise Palestine, heaping further pressure on the Albanese government to join Canada, France and the UK in their push for a sovereign state. Rank and file members at Labor's state conference on Saturday also carried an urgent resolution to review the Aukus submarine deal. However, the wording of the motion was watered down before the vote. Labor Friends of Palestine's motion calling on the federal government to immediately recognise Palestine, extend existing sanctions on two Israeli ministers to all members of Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, and to end all direct and indirect military trade with Israel was carried. Sign up: AU Breaking News email The internal campaign group's Victorian convener, Oliver van Ingen, told the conference the measures were 'appropriate, effective steps that Australia can take to contribute to peace in the Middle East' and were backed by unions, Labor members and the wider community. 'The time has come for sanctions and an end to military trade – they are the only option to prevent further atrocities and work towards a long-term solution,' van Ingen said. The motion was seconded by Tony Piccolo, from the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, who said: 'Apartheid is never right, no matter who the perpetrators are and the reasons they say it stands. 'The behaviours we walk past – whether they be in the world, in our community, on the job site, or anywhere else – [are] the behaviours that we accept, and, comrades, we can't accept what is going on in the name of self-defence,' Piccolo said. 'I won't, and I hope you won't either.' Attempts to amend the motion were put forward by Nick Dyrenfurth, from Labor Friends of Israel, and Dean Sherr, a former Albanese adviser and lobbyist, who is also a member of the Jewish community, but failed. Dyrenfurth told the conference it was 'impractical to recognise a Palestinian state at this juncture' and criticised 'one-sided extreme motions, which endlessly demonise just one party in this ongoing conflict'. Albanese has so far stopped short of matching his UK counterpart Keir Starmer's promise to recognise the state of Palestine in September unless Israel abides by a ceasefire and commits to a two-state solution. Two other resolutions by Friends of Palestine – to increase aid and for the protection of civil liberties, including the right to protest – were also carried. As was a motion urging a federal review of the Aukus submarine deal – but only after criticisms of the US president, Donald Trump, were removed, alongside a sentence calling for a 'withdrawal' from the partnership. 'Despite the best efforts of ministers' offices to have this vote killed off, we prevailed and the voice of the rank-and-file has been clearly heard,' the Labor Against War Victorian convener, Hamish McPherson, said. A committee report that called on the government to suspend funding during the proposed inquiry and for the Victorian branch to make a submission calling on withdrawal from the Aukus partnership, however, passed. While non-binding on state or federal Labor MPs, the motions represent one of the most effective ways for rank-and-file members and unions to influence party policy. With prime minister, Anthony Albanese, in the Northern Territory for the Garma Festival, deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, was the most senior party figure at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Saturday. But he received a lukewarm reception, with some delegates refusing to stand as he arrived. During Marles' speech, a group of delegates held up their phones to display Palestine flags. Tim Ryder, said participated in the 'silent protest' to 'hold the federal government to account' over their lack of action on Palestine. He also criticised the conference for banning placards on the floor this year, saying branches were 'white hot' with 'rage' over the move. Pro-Palestinian protesters also gathered outside but were unable to make it into the racecourse as they had last year, due to tighter security. Marles said the recent federal election result – where the party won 27 of the 38 seats and 56% of the two-party preferred vote – 'enshrines Victoria as Australian Labor's home base'. He thanked volunteers for their 'countless hours' volunteering during the campaign and vowed to deliver on the 'entirety of the agenda that we took to this election'. The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, used her speech to announce a key policy commitment to enshrine in law the right to work remotely two days a week, setting stage for the 2026 state election, which she said 'won't be easy'. 'We've got a fight on our hands, a fight for what we've built, a fight for the people who rely on us, a fight for the future of this state,' she said. 'But let me tell you, it is a fight we will win because our cause is just, our record is strong, our vision for the future is clear and our movement is unstoppable when it remembers what it is fighting for.'
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Sydney Harbour Bridge protest: Police issue brutal warning to pro-Palestine protesters as thousands prepare to march across the global landmark
Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a major show of force, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to manage the court-sanctioned event. Thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend the rally to highlight what the United Nations has described as 'worsening famine conditions' in Gaza. Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored. Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected an application on behalf of the NSW police commissioner to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds. Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster. Justice Rigg said in her judgment that arguments the rally would cause disruption were not sufficient to bar the protest. 'It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others,' she said. She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions. The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections around offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians. Police were 'scrambling' to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the 'whole gamut' of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said. 'We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible,' he told reporters on Saturday. 'Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action.' Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the 'anti-protest Minns Labor government'. 'The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest,' she said. Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm. Police Minister Yasmine Catley urged people to avoid the city if possible. 'Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays,' she said. 'But we believe police will be able to handle the protest on the bridge so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what police ask them to do and that they are sensible.' In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge. Executive Council of Australian Jewry CEO Alex Ryvchin said there was 'a lot of dismay in the community and wider society that a single judge has overruled a decision of the police and the elected government made in the interests of public safety'. Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found. Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation. Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
A large pro-Palestine protest has won legal right to march across Harbour Bridge. How will the shutdown affect Sydney?
A pro-Palestine protest that plans to march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge will go ahead with legal protection after its organisers won a supreme court challenge. The court heard up to 50,000 people were expected to attend – the same number of people who marched across the bridge for World Pride in 2023. New South Wales police sought powers to move on protesters and expressed serious concerns about the disruption a large protest on the bridge would have on the city. But Justice Belinda Rigg said disruption and inconvenience alone were not enough to stifle the right to political protest and noted 'significant support for the march'. Here are some answers to questions you may have about the march, including its planned route, transport disruptions and potential risks. The ruling means protesters will have immunity from being charged under the Summary Offences Act. This includes protection from offences like 'obstructing traffic' – crucial in this particular protest. However, police will still have access to a range of other powers to stem what the court described as 'antisocial behaviour' or other types of offending. This includes showing prohibited symbols. David Mejia-Canales, a senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the authorisation 'doesn't give people the ability to engage in all types and all forms of activism'. 'It's really important for people who do attend that they follow the directions of organisers and marshals.' There is no authority to ban protest or deem it unlawful in NSW. This is because, while there is no express right to protest in the state, it is covered in common law and by the Australian constitution, which the high court has found implies the right to freedom of political communication. The protest will begin at 1pm on Sunday at Lang Park in Sydney's CBD. Protesters will then march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge into north Sydney. Early plans shared with protesters stated the march would end at the US consulate, but this may change. The protest is expected to last several hours. The bridge will be closed to traffic from about 11.30am. Police hope it will reopen to traffic from about 4pm. They have advised people to avoid the CBD and travel in the city unless necessary. Yes, but NSW police will comply with the court's decision and say they are working with protest organisers to address issues and concerns. A significant police presence will be in the city, including officers brought in from across the suburbs. The force has said it will also use specialist resources, including the public order and riot squad and mounted police. Police have advised the public to expect significant disruptions in and around the CBD. A counter protest against antisemitism, organised by the Christian-led group Never Again is Now, will not be granted legal protection because, according to the supreme court, 'notice was served less than seven days before the proposed assembly'. The group had been planning to protest outside the Sydney harbour tunnel, close to the pro-Palestinian march. Rigg said police would have the legal power to direct this group to move on or, if necessary, arrest demonstrators for non-compliance. These powers will not extend to those marching in the pro-Palestine demonstration. The state government is yet to respond to the supreme court decision. Earlier this week, Chris Minns opposed the protest, saying: 'We cannot allow Sydney to descend into chaos.' But several NSW Labor MPs defied their premier, vowing to attend the march. Labor's Stephen Lawrence, Anthony D'Adam, Lynda Voltz, Cameron Murphy and Sarah Kaine were among 15 NSW politicians who signed an open letter on Thursday evening calling on the government to facilitate 'a safe and orderly event' on Sunday. The state opposition leader, Mark Speakman, said while he respected the freedom to protest, including with rallies and marches, 'allowing the takeover of the Harbour Bridge for a protest in the middle of the day sets the wrong precedent for the future'.
