Written by Sophie Babic

Hit with fine 

Tech giant, Google, is being forced to pay a $55 million fine after the Australian competition watchdog found it had signed anti-competitive deals with the country’s two largest telcos.  

The deals prevented the pre-installation of competing search engines on smartphones and required Google Search to be the default app. 

The contracts, which ran from December 2019 to March 2021 with Telstra and Optus, also gave the telcos a share of advertising revenue from Google search results. The fine is one of the largest ever issued to Google in Australia, second only to a $60 million penalty in 2022 for secretly collecting Android users’ location data. 

Under 16 social ban looms 

Next week, Australia will introduce the legislation to ban social media use for under-16s, but teenagers aren’t convinced it will work.  

An ABC poll revealed concerns that the restriction could negatively impact mental health, particularly for those in remote areas who rely on social platforms for social interaction. 

 The law doesn’t fine children or parents for using social media, it targets the platforms themselves. Cyber security experts warn the ban could leave young users and families vulnerable to age verification scams.  

Already, lesser-known apps like Yope and Lemon8 are seeing surges in use as teens try to bypass restrictions.  

Subscription traps 

In a win for consumers, Aussies are set to be protected from sneaky subscription loops and hidden fees, with new legislation expected by the end of next year. 

Drip pricing and hard-to-escape subscriptions, practices that reportedly cost Australians $46 million annually, will be banned. 

Businesses will be required to clearly disclose terms before sign-up, send reminders at key interaction points such as upcoming payments, and make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to start one.  

Award show disaster 

TikTok recently took over ICC Sydney Theatre, now rebranded the TikTok Entertainment Centre, for its 2025 awards, but the glitz and glamour didn’t quite live up to the hype.  

Creators on the platform have slammed the event’s organisation, complaining of having to buy their own drinks, limited food, long queues, and no access to water after 8pm. 

The chaos didn’t stop there. Multiple attendees, including Florence Baitio, a nominee for Beauty and Fashion Creator of the Year, described behaviour at the event as “blatant racism.”  

In response, TikTok stated: “We are all distraught that some of our valued guests had a negative experience at this year’s TikTok Awards, and we wanted to address our community personally.” 

The platform also pointed out “more than one-third of this year’s nominees were from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds,” and said it appreciated the feedback to “help us improve future events.”