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This week we explore a shift in how social media platforms are perceived, which could open the door to them taking greater accountability for potential harms experienced by users.

The trigger is two recent landmark verdicts in the US. In California, a jury found Meta and Google negligent for the design of their platforms while in New Mexico, a jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million after it was argued the company misled the public about the safety of its platforms.

Until now, platforms have largely sheltered behind a legal theory that argues that they aren't publishers and therefore not liable for the content posted by users or the harm it cause. These cases re-direct the source of harm to the way these platforms are designed - much more akin to how we think about product safety.
Links
Article about Meta and Google found liable (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2026/03/25/nx-s1-5746125/meta-google-social-media-addiction-trial

Article about New Mexico child safety verdict (Reuters) https://www.aol.com/articles/jury-orders-meta-pay-375-210501487.html

New Mexico Department of Justice — official verdict statement https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/new-mexico-department-of-justice-wins-landmark-verdict-against-meta/
Argument against social media verdicts

(TechDirt) https://www.techdirt.com/2026/03/26/everyone-cheering-the-social-media-addiction-verdicts-against-me...

Australia's digital duty of care — issues paper (Department of Infrastructure) https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/publications/digital-duty-care-australia-developi...

Australia advancing digital duty of care legislation (The Conversation) https://theconversation.com/australia-will-impose-a-digital-duty-of-care-on-tech-companies-to-reduce...

Australia wants social media to be safe by design — what does that actually look like? (The Conversation https://theconversation.com/australia-wants-social-media-to-be-safe-by-design-what-does-that-actuall...
Credits
Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au

Is AI going to take all our jobs? This week we dig into this question, starting with a report from Anthropic released this year that cuts against the prevailing panic.

We identify some deeper and more nuanced impacts of AI on the labour force beyond the possibility of jobs disappearing - including the re-design of roles, the loss of insight that comes when we handover "mundane" work to AI, and the impact of AI on the next generation of workforce leaders.

We also explore the vested interests that exist to promote the narrative around mass workforce displacement.

Links

Anthropic research: Labor market impacts of AI https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts?highlight=2026

Article about "AI washing" (Fortune) https://fortune.com/2026/02/10/ai-washing-and-forever-layoffs-why-companies-keep-cutting-jobs-even-a...

Anthropic CEO's dramatic labour force prediction (Forbes) https://www.forbes.com/sites/kolawolesamueladebayo/2026/02/21/dario-amodei-doubled-down-on-his-ai-jo...

Goldman Sachs AI labour force prediction https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/how-will-ai-affect-the-us-labor-market

Research on AI and labour market (HBR) https://hbr.org/2026/03/research-how-ai-is-changing-the-labor-market

Oped about Atlassian's job cuts (AFR) https://www.afr.com/technology/the-ai-lesson-atlassian-s-cannon-brookes-doesn-t-want-to-hear-2026031...

Global tech layoff numbers (RationalFX) https://www.rationalfx.com/forex-brokers/tech-industry-layoffs/

Blog on how history suggests AI-driven change isn't coming as fast as you think (Aaron Benanav) https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/blogs/news/is-the-ai-bubble-about-to-burst

Australia's National AI Plan https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/national-ai-plan

Credits

Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au

This week we take a closer look at the rapid spread of customer‑facing chatbots on websites and explore the growing risks that come with them.
While they often look like a simple website widget, chatbots are increasingly deeply integrated AI agents with access to sensitive systems, personal data and business processes.

We talk about some of the real‑world snafus that have occurred, and then step through the practical risk and governance considerations for privacy, security and AI teams.

Links:

Article about Air Canada chatbot misinformation case (BBC) ⁠https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240222-air-canada-chatbot-misinformation-what-travellers-should-know

Article about swearing chatbot (BBC) ⁠https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-68025677⁠

Article about NYC chatbot telling businesses to break the law (The Markup) ⁠https://themarkup.org/artificial-intelligence/2024/03/29/nycs-ai-chatbot-tells-businesses-to-break-the-law

Article about California fire agency chatbot (The Markup) ⁠https://themarkup.org/artificial-intelligence/2025/07/09/californias-fire-protection-agency-made-an-ai-chatbot-dont-ask-it-about-evacuation-orders

Article about McDonald’s chatbot breach (News) ⁠https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/hacking/dystopian-mcdonalds-ai-chat-bot-olivia-hacked-with-simple-password/news-story/2c0f09f9fb0396f6ca17c56419133fee

Article about Salesforce hacks (AFR) ⁠https://www.afr.com/technology/australian-boards-caught-up-in-global-hack-after-portal-breach-20251031-p5n6ui

AI As normal technology (Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor) https://www.normaltech.ai/p/ai-as-normal-technology

Credits:

Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au

To celebrate Privacy Awareness Week, Jordan sits down with Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind to reflect on the PAW theme, her time in the office so far, and what the future holds.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s (OAIC) chosen theme for Privacy Awareness Week is Trust is built here. In every privacy complaint. In every resolution.

In a wide-ranging interview, Jordan talks with the Commissioner about why she chose to focus on dispute resolution for this year’s PAW theme, and how the OAIC’s own approach to complaint handling is evolving.

With Commissioner Kind approaching the half-way mark of her five-year term, they also reflect on her time in the office so far, and what she still hopes to achieve.

They go deep on facial recognition and discuss what practitioners should learn from the Administrative Review Tribunal’s decision in Bunnings Group Limited and Privacy Commissioner.

Finally, they talk law reform — the Children’s Online Privacy Code, what to expect from tranche 2 of the Privacy Act reforms (and maybe even when), and the upcoming amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering / Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) Act which will introduce new privacy obligations for real estate professionals, dealers in precious metals and stones, and certain professional service providers from 1 July 2026.

Links

PAW 2026 at the OAIC https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/events/privacy-awareness-week/paw-2026

The OAIC’s new approach to complaints https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/blog/handling-privacy-complaints-a-new-approach-for-a-new-era

Privacy Commissioner’s determination on the 2Apply rental technology platform and statement on RentTech platforms generally https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/renttech-platforms-must-stop-unfair-and-excessive-personal-information-collection,-says-privacy-commissioner

Decision of the Administrative Review Tribunal on facial recognition at Bunnings https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/ARTA/2026/130.html

Privacy Commissioner statement on the Administrative Review Tribunal’s Bunnings decision https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/privacy-commissioner-statement-on-administrative-review-tribunals-bunnings-decision

OAIC on the Children’s online privacy code https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-registers/privacy-codes/childrens-online-privacy-code

Children’s Online Privacy Code consultation materials for kids https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-for-kids

OAIC Guidance on the AML/CTF reforms https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/know-your-privacy-obligations-under-the-anti-money-laundering-counter-terrorism-financing-amlctf-act-updated-oaic-guidance

This week Jordan is joined by Dr Kate Bower from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to discuss the biggest shake-up to online privacy for Australian kids in 25 years, and how you can have your say.The Children’s Online Privacy Code will set out new rules for the handling of children’s personal information by apps games and websites likely to be accessed by children or primarily concerned with the activities of children.

Kate and Jordan break down what’s in the code, where it comes from, and why it looks the way it does. They also revisit what the OAIC learnt from past consultation rounds, and how you (and your kids and your community) can have your say.

Public consultation on the proposed Children’s Online Privacy Code is open until 5 June. Kate and the team are genuinely keen to hear from industry, but also from parents, carers and children. The OAIC has put together a range of engagement resources like child friendly explainers, worksheets, lesson plans and more to make it easier for kids and parents to participate, which you can access at Privacy for Kids | OAIC.

Dr Kate Bower is the Director of the Privacy Reform Implementation and Social Media (PRISM) Taskforce at the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Links:

The OAIC’s Children’s Online Privacy Code information hub https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-for-kids

Kate’s blog post on the code and the OAIC’s approach https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/blog/sunshine-and-double-rainbows-building-a-better-online-environment-for-children-and-young-people

Credits:

Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East CoastStudio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au

This week we unpack the dispute between Anthropic and the US Department of Defense and it what it says about AI governance more broadly.

What began as a contractual disagreement rapidly turned into a political and legal stoush that culminated in the designation of Anthropic as a US national supply‑chainrisk.

We break down the areas of concern - fully autonomous lethal weapons and mass domestic surveillance - and debate whether private tech companies should be allowed to constrain how governments use technologies like AI

Links:

Article about Pentagon designating Anthropic a supply‑chain risk (Yahoo) https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pentagon-designates-anthropic-supply-chain-114515625.html

Anthropic statement https://www.anthropic.com/news/statement-comments-secretary-war

Oped on the Pentagon–Anthropic brawl (ASPI) https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/pentagon-anthropic-brawl-demands-rethink-of-ai-industry/

Oped on the Pentagon–Anthropic brawl (Tech Policy Press) https://www.techpolicy.press/how-to-think-about-the-anthropic-pentagon-dispute/

Article on the dispute (The Atlantic) https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/03/inside-anthropics-killer-robot-dispute-with-the-pent…

Analysis by former Trump AI advisor https://www.hyperdimensional.co/p/clawed

Credits:

Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au

In this episode we explore the implications of an Administrative Review Tribunal ruling that Australian retailer Bunnings was reasonably entitled to use facial recognition technology (FRT) to combat crime and staff abuse in its stores.

The ruling comes after a protracted dispute, with Bunnings appealing a 2024 determination by Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind that it had breached privacy laws in using FRT to scan customers' faces without their consent.

We break down the legal intricacies and justifications for the decision, and explore the impact it might have on FRT adoption more widely.
Links:
Article about the Administrative Review Tribunal ruling (ABC) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-05/bunnings-wins-ai-facial-recognition-tech-fight/106309308
ART ruling https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/ARTA/2026/130.html
OAIC statement https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/oaic-statement-on-administrative-review-tribunals-bunning…
Bunnings statement https://media.bunnings.com.au/api/public/content/51f48a5bef0748109f7b52607bdfbd06?v=9b52aa2c&_gl=1*…
Analysis of ruling (The Conversation) https://theconversation.com/bunnings-decision-may-open-door-to-facial-recognition-surveillance-free…
Analysis of ruling (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/05/bunnings-given-green-light-to-use-facial-rec…

Credits:
Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au
Music by Bensound.com

In our first episode for the year we revisit the big themes of 2025, and explore how they're shaping in 2026.

We discuss changing sentiments around AI, its impact on the online information ecosystem, the social media ban and ongoing focus on children's privacy, and how cyber threats are evolving in the AI age.

Links:
TWIDT #146 Australia's grand plan for AI https://podcasts.apple.com/cm/podcast/146-australias-grand-plan-for-ai/id1616386683?i=1000743906862
Australia's National AI plan https://www.industry.gov.au/news/australia-launches-national-ai-plan-capture-opportunities-share-be…
Article about sentiments about an AI bubble (AFR) https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/microsoft-s-shock-plunge-isn-t-end-of-ai-bubble-but-it-s-a-warning-…
TWIDT #134 AI slop is taking over the internet https://podcasts.apple.com/cm/podcast/134-ai-slop-is-taking-over-the-internet/id1616386683?i=100071…
Article about start of social media ban (ABC) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-15/social-media-ban-data-millions-of-accounts-closed/106232768
Article about almost autonomous AI-enabled cyber attacks in 2025 (The Conversation) https://theconversation.com/an-ai-lab-says-chinese-backed-bots-are-running-cyber-espionage-attacks-…

Credits:
Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au
Music by Bensound.com

In this episode we break down the National AI Plan released by the Government in December.The plan broadly sets out how Australia will capture the opportunities of AI, how the benefits will be spread across the economy and how it guide the safe and responsible adoption of AI.
We debate whether the plan strikes the right tone, pursues the right opportunities and whether it does enough to manage the risks of AI.

Links:
Australia's National AI plan https://www.industry.gov.au/news/australia-launches-national-ai-plan-capture-opportunities-share-be…
Article about the plan (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-02/national-artificial-intelligence-plan-growth-existing-laws/1…
Analysis of the plan (Crikey) https://theconversation.com/australias-national-ai-plan-has-just-been-released-who-exactly-will-ben…
Article about environmental impact of data centres (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-27/ai-to-take-up-one-quarter-of-sydney-water-in-a-decade/105700…
Article about energy use of data centres (Guardian) 
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/03/datacentres-demand-huge-amounts-of-electrici…
Article about MIT study on successful AI pilots (Forbes) https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonsnyder/2025/08/26/mit-finds-95-of-genai-pilots-fail-because-compa…

Credits:
Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au
Music by Bensound.com

AI chatbots are becoming increasingly intimate spaces, with people using them for companionship, therapy and as a helpful personal assistant.
While our interactions with chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot get more personal, we're also seeing logs and transcripts of these interactions increasingly find their way to the public - via FOI requests, court orders and security and privacy breaches.
We explore the convergence of these opposing trends.

Links:
Article about national security chief using Copilot (Crikey - PAYWALL) https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/11/12/australia-national-security-chief-ai-speech-writing/
Article about UK tech minister using ChatGPT for policy advice (New Scientist) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2472068-revealed-how-the-uk-tech-secretary-uses-chatgpt-for-po…
Article about California court order ChatGPT logs discoverable (AI Buzz) https://www.ai-buzz.com/court-rules-chatgpt-history-is-discoverable-evidence-in-lawsuits
Article about Grok chats exposed in Google search results (BBC) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrkmk00jy0o
Article about Meta leaking chatbot prompts (Toms Guide) https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/online-security/meta-ai-was-leaking-chatbot-prompts-and-answers…
OpenAI v New York Times https://openai.com/index/fighting-nyt-user-privacy-invasion/
NSW Government advisory on AI and recordkeeping https://www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/recordkeeping/create-and-capture/ai-and-recordkeeping

Credits:
Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au
Music by Bensound.com