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TRANSCRIPT:
The federal government has hailed a landmark US court ruling that found Meta and Google liable for harm to child users.
The companies were found in two separate lawsuits to have knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation.
Lawyers for a 20 year old woman in the Los Angeles lawsuit successfully claimed Meta and Google's platforms, including Instagram and YouTube, were defective because of their addictive, infinite-scrolling algorithms.
Health Minister Mark Butler has told Channel 7 the case highlights the concerns the government has always held.
"We know big tech is going to push back against it. We are making sure that the design features that feature in this American case are very clear in our rules. Those things that are deliberately designed to have young people constantly scrolling, constantly checking their social media because they fear they might miss out on stories, are right at the heart of our world-leading legislative ban."
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Europe is investigating messaging platform, Snapchat, over concerns it isn't doing enough to protect kids.
The 27-nation EU’s executive Commission has opened a formal inquiry under the bloc's sweeping rule book known as the Digital Services Act that's designed to protect internet users.
Snapchat requires users to be at least 13 but the EU suspects the company's age assurance system is insufficient at keeping underage children away.
Snapchat reaches more than 97 million people in the bloc, and EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier says most of those are kids.
"Once on the platform, children are exposed to dangerous contacts for grooming, and even worse, they can buy prohibited products such as drugs, vapes, and alcohol. These are some of the concerns that we will tackle in our in-depth investigation that we're launching today and we invite Snapchat to cooperate throughout the process."
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US President Donald Trump has again accused Australia of not doing enough to help with the war in the Middle East.
At a Cabinet Meeting Trump has said Australia was "not great" and he was a "little surprised".
But Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has told Channel 9 there has been no direct call from the U-S for assistance in the Middle East.
"We have been providing an E-7 for the defence of the Gulf states. That was at the request of the UAE. The one request we've had from the United States is to provide support for the gulf states, which is in fact what we are doing. And that is where we see our national interest."
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Iran appears to be setting itself up as the gatekeeper for the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important artery for oil shipments.
Iranian communications to the United Nations and the experience of vessels transiting the strait suggest Iran is trying to create something like a toll booth.
That is where ships must enter Iranian waters and be vetted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and potentially pay for passage.
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Federal Parliament has approved new laws that double the fine for petrol stations and suppliers who price gouge customers.
Prices have soared as the war in the Middle East has unfolded, but stations that artificially raise the price of fuel could now face fines of up to $100 million.
More than 500 service stations are now without some kind of fuel.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says there is ample supply, and that distribution to regional Australia had seen a significant boost in the last few days.
"When you get a big increase in demand, it takes time for the supply chain to recover to backfill the existing demand. But the fact that supply to regional Australia is up substantially, shows that the measures this government has put in place, with industry, are seeing real progress mr speaker."
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Driving rain and strong winds have wreaked havoc in multiple states.
Many storm watchers have kept their eyes on the west and the path of Tropical Cyclone Narelle, which senior meteorologist Kristy Johnston says will bring gusts up to 275 kilometres an hour as it crosses the coastline.
"Really all of those places along that western Pilbara, Gascogne coast are expected to see severe impacts from the system as it comes past with those damaging to destructive winds."
Australia's east coast has been slammed with wild weather too.
Tens of thousands of people lost power in New South Wales late on Thursday, with about 4000 homes still in the dark on Friday morning, and Victoria has also been buffeted by strong winds.
