Evening News Bulletin 22 November 2024

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TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
Tech companies react to the government’s proposed social media ban for those aged under 16;
Pop star Katy Perry wins court appeal in trademark dispute with Sydney fashion designer;
And in cricket, two weeks of commemorations for late cricketer Phillip Hughes to commence from Saturday.
YouTube says it is pleased it won’t be subject to the government’s plan to ban under-16s from social media.
The federal government has excluded messaging apps, online gaming services and “services with the primary purpose of supporting the health and education of end-users”.
That would capture ReachOut’s PeerChat, Kids Helpline’s MyCircle, and YouTube.
The public policy manager at YouTube, Rachel Lord, says the company appreciates the government’s decision to make the video platform exempt from the regulation.
Independent MP Kylea Tink says she has concerns about whether the bill will work.
“I’m a parent, I know the struggle that it is to try and help your children be safe in this new digital world. But I think the whole subtlety of this piece of legislation has been lost, simply saying to our kids that we are going to ban you from accessing these services is not going to fix the problem. And I think that from my perspective, when we have so much evidence showing the harm that gambling advertising is doing to our nation, and yet the government has done nothing there, and we have no evidence showing that this will work in terms of protecting our kids, and in fact, this very idea has been tried in multiple countries, including in the EU, and it has failed.”
Elon Musk, who owns social platform X, has also criticised the proposed ban on his X account, claiming the Austrlaian government is trying to control the access to the internet.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, also warns that the age limit will require companies to collect personal information from all Australians.
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International pop superstar Katy Perry has won her long-running trademark battle with an Australian fashion designer.
An appeal court has ruled – Sydney designer – Katie Jane Taylor – who sells clothing under the name of Katie Perry – must cancel her trademark.
The court found the trademark was not validly registered back in 2008, because singer – Katy Perry was already well known back then.
In a statement, Ms Taylor said she was devastated and heartbroken by the decision.
She says she is considering the next steps to take, following the ruling.
Ms Perry declined to comment when contacted through her lawyers.
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Dozens of climate activists and school children have began the second day of a four-day protest to cut off access to Newcastle harbour.
The New South Wales government had tried to block the protest, but the state’s supreme court has set aside the decision, after an appeal from the organiser Rising Tide.
However, New South Wales police have set up a perimeter to keep protesters confined to an area so that coal ships can still pass through.
It’s estimated the protest is one of the largest climate rallies in Australia’s history.
Frankie Kelly is one of the teenage protesters who walk off school to join the strike.
“Our climate is facing a crisis right now, and it’s really important that we make changes, and something needs to change, because the evidence is obviously saying we need to change, so I just think it’s really important that young people especially to get involved, which is why I’m at the school strike.”
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Australians are expected to spend $6.7 billion on shopping, as the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales kick off from today.
Despite the cost of living crisis, Australian shoppers are expected to spend more this year, and insiders estimate a 5.5 percent increase on figures from 2023.
The National Retail Association and Australian Retailers Association say higher wages and no rate rises contribute to the spending.
A report by the Retailers Association shows one in four shoppers will be using the sales to save money on gift.
Lidia Evril is a senior operation manager at Amazon. She says her company is ready to serve the customers for the Black Friday Sale.
“We hired 600 seasonal workers across Australia (for the sale). Last year, Australians save millions of dollars for the Black Friday Sale event, we are expecting the same this year, we are expecting the increase volume. We are here to prepare. ”
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And to sport,
Cricket Australia will fly flags at half-mast and players will wear black armbands on their uniforms as they mark the 10 year anniversary of Phillip Hughes’ death.
Saturday’s Sheffield Shield round will begin two weeks of commemorations for Hughes, whose life was tragically cut short days before his 26th birthday in 2014.
Officials have adopted a uniform approach across the board, with Hughes’ former team South Australia to face Western Australia in Adelaide from Saturday.
A moment’s silence will also be observed before play on day four of all matches.
Hughes’ death two days after he was struck in the neck by a ball at the SCG in 2014 remains one of the most difficult periods in cricket history.