This week we discuss how recent turbulence in geopolitics is translating into impacts on the digital environment.

We explore how the Trump tariffs and general shift towards increased trade protectionism might impact a swathe of tech policy initiatives around the world.

We also look at the increasingly cavalier attitudes to security, privacy, and risk management from the US Government, primarily through the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency, and the extent to which such attitudes might affect Australia as we head to an election.

Links:

Article about potential impacts to News Media Bargaining Code from US tariff policies (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-02/media-bargaining-code-tariffs-trump/105124278

US Government list of Foreign Trade Barriers https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/Press/Reports/2025NTE.pdf

Article about DOGE increasing cyber security risks (TIME) https://time.com/7268032/doge-cybersecurity-elon-musk/

Article about DOGE cyber security cutes (TechCrunch) https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/11/doge-axes-cisa-red-team-staffers-amid-ongoing-federal-cuts/

Article about war plans shared on Signal (The Atlantic - Paywalled) https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/signal-group-chat-attack-plans-hegseth-goldberg/682176/

Credits:

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

Music by Bensound.com

This week we discuss increased the scrutiny on how charities and not-for-profits manage the data they collect.
Several breaches in recent years have led the Australian privacy regulator to issue specific guidance on privacy obligations to the NFP sector, particularly warning them against the practice of retaining donor data longer than necessary.
We explore the challenges charities face in getting privacy and cyber security right, including limited knowledge and resourcing, and pressures to make use of data to fundraise more effectively.

Links:

Privacy regulator's guidance for charities and NFPs https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/draft-media-release-updated-nfpcharities-guidance
Podcast conversation with Privacy Commissioner about charities https://www.acnc.gov.au/media/news/defending-charity-data-privacy-commissioner-shares-insights-latest-charity-chat-podcast
Report on financial and workforce challenges faced by charities (ACNC) https://www.acnc.gov.au/media/news/cost-living-issues-impact-australian-charity-sector-latest-acnc-data
Cyber threat report on Australian charities (CyberCX) https://cybercx.com.au/news/cyber-risks-to-australian-charities-sector/
Charity telemarketer data breach (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-21/qld-pareto-phone-charity-hack-cyber-criminal/103002650
Article about Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation use of data-driven marketing (The Australian) https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/growth-agenda/childrens-charity-borrows-from-retail-sector-for-story-of-growth/news-story/4bfead86c5cab9607e342836bef66e00

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

This week Jordan is joined by fellow Victorian elevenM-er and OVIC alumnus Piotr Debowski to explore some of the challenges, trends and quirks of privacy complaints in Victoria and to introduce a new, free, elevenM resource: The Victorian Privacy Case Notes Database.

Piotr led the development of the database, which provides case notes and commentary on Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and Victorian Supreme Court decisions involving the interpretation and application of the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) from the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic).

We hope the database will be a useful resource for Victorian privacy officers or anyone with an interest in Victorian privacy case law. Feedback very welcome via https://elevenm.com.au/contact/.

Links:

elevenM's Victorian Privacy Case Notes Database - https://viccasenotes.elevenm.com.au/

Our case note on Gao v Victoria Legal Aid [2012] VCAT 5223 - https://viccasenotes.elevenm.com.au/case-note/gao-v-victoria-legal-aid-2012-vcat-5223/

OAIC determination in 'WP' and Secretary to the Department of Home Affairs (with guidance on quantum of compensation) - https://www.oaic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/3077/wp-and-secretary-to-the-department-of-home-affairs-privacy-2021-aicmr-2-11-january-2021.pdf

Credits:

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

Music by bensound.com

This week we explore the how the Australian privacy regulator is transforming itself in an attempt to have a stronger impact - in the face ongoing funding pressures and a reform agenda that hasn't quite met the expectations of privacy advocates.

A year into the tenure of Carly Kind as Australian Privacy Commissioner, we are seeing a more public and vocal regulator, a series of targeted enforcement actions and the issuing of more frequent communications and guidance.

It's all part of a self-described transformation by the OAIC into a "more proactive, harms-focused regulator".

Links:
Our episode with Commissioner Carly Kind https://elevenm.com.au/podcast/episode/107-power-up-your-privacy-with-privacy-commissioner-carly-kind/

Oct 2024 Interview with Carly Kind (Mi-3) https://www.mi-3.com.au/09-10-2024/enforcement-mode-privacy-commissioner-carly-kind-takes-aim-widespread-pixel-data
Article about OAIC staff cuts (InnovationAus) https://www.innovationaus.com/privacy-watchdog-axes-30pc-of-staff/
OAIC Corporate Report 2024-25 https://www.oaic.gov.au/about-the-OAIC/our-corporate-information/corporate-plans/corporate-plan-2024-25
OAIC restructure report released under FOI https://www.oaic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/245559/FOIREQ24-00563-Document-for-release.pdf
OAIC settlement with Meta https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/landmark-settlement-of-$50m-from-meta-for-australian-users-impacted-by-cambridge-analytica-incident
OAIC enforceable undertaking with Oxfam https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/oaic-accepts-oxfam-australia-enforceable-undertaking

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

This week we analyse what appears to be a global shift in sentiment away from AI safety.Our discussion is triggered by the AI Action Summit in Paris, where world leaders overtly sought to minimise focus on AI risks and regulation in favour of an acceleration agenda.
Links:
AI Action Summit (Wikipedia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_Action_Summit
Report on AI Action Summit (Politico) https://www.politico.eu/article/ai-action-summit-france-paris-macron-vance-modi-artificial-intelligence-technology/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Alondra Nelson speech https://www.techpolicy.press/three-fallacies-alondra-nelsons-remarks-at-elyse-palace-on-the-occasion-of-the-ai-action-summit/
Tim Hwang on X https://x.com/timhwang/status/1889646392995377534

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

This week we dive into the hype and fear around DeepSeek, the Chinese AI start-up taking the tech world by storm.

We break down the apparent concerns driving the collective freakout over the app, which include bans by various national governments.

We also explore the broader takeaways for Australia's AI capability and ecosystem and the responsible AI movement.

Links:
DeepSeek FAQ (Stratechery)https://stratechery.com/2025/deepseek-faq/
Article about DeepSeek market impact (ABC News)https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-02/deepseek-nvidia-financial-markets-frenzy-ai-race/104866302
Matt Levine on the links between hedge funds and LLMs (Bloomberg - paywall)https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-01-27/hedge-fund-ai-is-cheap-aiArticle about DeepSeek being banned from Australian government devices (Guardian)https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/04/deepseek-banned-from-australian-government-devices-over-national-security-concerns
Article about DeepSeek censorship (Guardian)https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/28/we-tried-out-deepseek-it-works-well-until-we-asked-it-about-tiananmen-square-and-taiwan
Article explaining how DeepSeek censorship works at a technical level (WIRED)https://www.wired.com/story/deepseek-censorship/
Casey Newton analysis (Platformer)https://www.platformer.news/deepseek-ai-explainer-china-worries/
Article reporting potential shift in Australia's focus on AI safety (InnovationAus - paywall)https://www.innovationaus.com/not-just-the-guardrails-chalmers-shifts-govt-focus-on-ai/
Article on Australia's unique AI opportunity (InnovationAus - paywall)https://www.innovationaus.com/deepseek-unearths-australias-ai-opportunity/

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

Music by Bensound.com

We're back in 2025.

In this episode we break down Meta's decision to cease factchecking and permit dehumanising speech on its platforms.

We explore the likely motivations and impacts of these changes, and the broader takeaways for Australia.

Links:

Article about Meta's factchecking changes (Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/technology/meta-ends-third-party-fact-checking-program-adopts-x-like-community-notes-model-2025-01-07/

Analysis of factchecking changes (Platformer) https://www.platformer.news/meta-trump-pivot-messenger-themes-labor-zuckerberg-wishlist/

Detail on Meta's change to dehumanising speech (Platformer) https://www.platformer.news/meta-new-trans-guidelines-hate-speech/?ref=platformer-newsletter

Oped on factchecking changes (NYT) https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/14/opinion/meta-fact-checking-policy.html

Article on response to factchecking changes (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/08/australia-meta-ending-factchecking-facebook-misinformation-sarah-hanson-young

Meta explainer on its factchecking https://transparency.meta.com/en-gb/features/how-fact-checking-works/

Meta's marked up Hateful Conduct Policy (Meta) https://transparency.meta.com/en-gb/policies/community-standards/hateful-conduct/

Blog post on why collective understandings on social media can be dangerous (Programmable Mutter) https://www.programmablemutter.com/p/were-getting-the-social-media-crisis

Blog post about Zuck's weird 'masculine energy' thing (Unmanned) https://sorayachemaly.substack.com/p/1-masculine-energy-or-the-vengeful

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

Music by Bensound.com

For our final episode of 2024, we take an optimistic look at the year that was (after a bit of a throat clearing on the things that bugged us), and what we're looking forward to in 2025.

Our conversation covers developments in AI, privacy reform, social media and the growing digital rights community in Australia.

We'll be taking a break over the summer holidays and will be back in late January.

Links:

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

This week we discuss the Australian Government's plan to make 16 the minimum age to access social media.

The plan has broad political support and resonates with many concerned parents, but there's more to it than meets the eye.

We discuss the specifics of how the ban will be implemented (with key elements not yet solved and potentially problematic), and interrogate the underlying philosophical approach of banning social media for kids rather than seeking to make the platforms less harmful for everyone.

Links:

PM media release on ban https://www.pm.gov.au/media/minimum-age-social-media-access-protect-australian-kids

Article about parliamentary inquiry into social media (Guardian) Australian parliamentary inquiry stops short of backing social media ban for under-16s https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/18/australian-parliamentary-inquiry-stops-short-of-backing-social-media-ban-for-under-16s

Open letter from researchers arguing against the ban https://au.reset.tech/uploads/ACRT-Open-letter-re-social-media-bans.pdf

Article about eSafety Commissioner's lack of public support (Crikey) https://www.crikey.com.au/2024/11/19/teen-social-media-ban-esafety-commissioner-julie-inman-grant/#:~:text=When%20Prime%20Minister%20Anthony%20Albanese,in%20rolling%20out%20the%20ban.

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

Awareness is growing that the power of many AI tools derives from the fact that they are trained on our personal information.

We discuss how regulators (like Australia's OAIC) are now stepping up their expectations that privacy obligations be adhered to by developers and deployers of AI.

We also explore the case study of Australian start-up harrison.ai - whose AI tool was trained on hundreds of thousands of medical images - and which recently brought the issue of privacy and AI into the spotlight.

Links:

OAIC privacy guidance for GenAI developers https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/guidance-on-privacy-and-developing-and-training-generative-ai-models

OAIC privacy guidance for GenAI deployers https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/guidance-on-privacy-and-the-use-of-commercially-available-ai-products

Crikey reporting on Harrison.ai and I-MED (Crikey) https://www.crikey.com.au/2024/09/19/patient-scan-data-train-artificial-intelligence-consent/

OAIC blog post about GenAI and personal information https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/blog/can-personal-information-be-used-to-develop-or-train-a-generative-ai-model

Article about Harrison.ai (AFR - paywalled) https://www.afr.com/young-rich/the-brothers-making-a-fortune-revolutionising-healthcare-with-ai-20240905-p5k834

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