WEBVTT - Your AM Headlines + Algorithm: Opting In Or Out?

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to a Mamma Mia podcast. Hello, I'm Charlotte

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<v Speaker 1>Mortlock with the latest from the Quickie Newsroom. If you

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<v Speaker 1>had the chance to control your social media feed instead

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<v Speaker 1>of the algorithm, would you take it? Draft laws setting

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<v Speaker 1>up what's being called a digital duty of care have

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<v Speaker 1>been unveiled by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Not only could

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<v Speaker 1>they change your experience with the algorithm... But social media

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<v Speaker 1>companies will also be required to protect people from harmful

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<v Speaker 1>content online. So how exactly would the changes be implemented

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<v Speaker 1>and what are the cases for and against? We're getting

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<v Speaker 1>into it. But first, here are your headlines for Wednesday,

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<v Speaker 1>September 9 with Tamsyn Rose.

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<v Speaker 2>Food prices could climb further this year with the Bureau

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<v Speaker 2>of Meteorology forecasting that this El Nino event could will

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<v Speaker 2>peak in late spring or summer at levels beyond anything

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<v Speaker 2>recorded since 1950. According to The Guardian, Robobank food analyst

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<v Speaker 2>Michael Harvey says the hot, dry conditions expected across eastern

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<v Speaker 2>Australia's key growing regions will be a major driver of

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<v Speaker 2>food costs over the coming year. The Food and Agriculture

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<v Speaker 2>Organisation's latest figures show weather-related pressures are already pushing global

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<v Speaker 2>commodity prices upwards. Australia's mortgage belt is tightening its spending

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<v Speaker 2>plans as the chances of another rate rise firm up,

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<v Speaker 2>with sentiment among homeowners sinking in September. The Westpac Melbourne

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<v Speaker 2>Institute Consumer Sentiment Index showed confidence plummeted 14% among mortgage

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<v Speaker 2>holders in the month compared to 0.9% fall among renters. Homeowners'

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<v Speaker 2>assessments of their family finances compared to a year ago

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<v Speaker 2>slumped 13%, while renters' assessments improved 0.6%. Flights to and

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<v Speaker 2>from Indonesia's capital of Jakarta have resumed after ash from

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<v Speaker 2>a volcano eruption forced a two-day closure that halted nearly

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<v Speaker 2>3,000 flights. The international airport has now reopened, while three

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<v Speaker 2>other airports remain closed. Although tests at several airports showed

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<v Speaker 2>no trace of volcanic ash, the extended closures would allow

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<v Speaker 2>time for inspecting and cleaning surfaces and equipment like runway,

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<v Speaker 2>taxiways and aircraft that may have been exposed. A tight-knit

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<v Speaker 2>community is in mourning after a dairy company founder and

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<v Speaker 2>his daughter were killed in a light plane crash on Monday.

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<v Speaker 2>56-year-old Ian Campbell and his 23-year-old daughter Hannah were were

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<v Speaker 2>killed when their aircraft crashed south of Brisbane, sparking a

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<v Speaker 2>large grass fire. The beach bonanza plane plunged into a

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<v Speaker 2>property in Stockley barely 10 minutes after taking off from

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<v Speaker 2>Archerfield Airport. Emergency crews worked to contain the fire, which

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<v Speaker 2>was burning close to a farmhouse. It was later bought

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<v Speaker 2>under control. Coming up, Prince George has reached a big

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<v Speaker 2>new milestone, plus why your social feed could soon look

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<v Speaker 2>very different. France's wine production is on track for one

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<v Speaker 2>of its lowest levels in 30 years after the country's

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<v Speaker 2>hottest summer on record brought heat and drought that damaged

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<v Speaker 2>vines across the country. And in bad news for people

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<v Speaker 2>who like bubbles, champagne output alone is expected to halve

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<v Speaker 2>this year. The world's second largest wine producer is forecasting

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<v Speaker 2>just under 34 million hectolitres for 2024, around 4.5 billion bottles, 17%

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<v Speaker 2>below the average of the past five years. Scientists say

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<v Speaker 2>Europe is warming faster than any continent, with extreme weather

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<v Speaker 2>events becoming more frequent across the region. And heading to

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<v Speaker 2>England now, 35-year-old skydiver Holly Whiffen was knocked unconscious mid-air

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<v Speaker 2>after a fellow jumper accidentally kicked her while she was

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<v Speaker 2>free-falling at 12,000 feet. She plunged almost 10,000 feet with

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<v Speaker 2>no parachute, completely knocked out, before she landed in a

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<v Speaker 2>conifer tree, and that ended up saving her life. She

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<v Speaker 2>was rushed to hospital in Nottingham with a badly broken

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<v Speaker 2>left leg and a fractured spine, and the whole terrifying

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<v Speaker 2>ordeal was caught on her GoPro. This was Whiffen's 425th dive,

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<v Speaker 2>and despite the ordeal, she says she cannot wait for

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<v Speaker 2>her next one, each to their own. And Prince George

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<v Speaker 2>will continue a family tradition this week when he starts

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<v Speaker 2>at Eton College. That's the elite school which has produced

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<v Speaker 2>20 British Prime Ministers. George, who's now 13, is following

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<v Speaker 2>in the footsteps of his father William, the Prince of Wales,

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<v Speaker 2>and Uncle Harry, the Duke of Sussex, who both attended

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<v Speaker 2>the elite school. George will start as a boarder at

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<v Speaker 2>Eton College on Monday.

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<v Speaker 1>On Tuesday, the government made a move to capitalise on

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<v Speaker 1>its position as a world leader in social media regulation,

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<v Speaker 1>releasing the first draft of its digital duty of care laws.

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<v Speaker 1>In the crosshairs, social media algorithms. So how would it work?

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<v Speaker 1>Social media users would be sent an alert asking them

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<v Speaker 1>whether they'd like to opt out of the algorithm or

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<v Speaker 1>stay in. Opting out means you'll only be served accounts

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<v Speaker 1>you follow. This could be your friends, family, influencers, the quickie,

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<v Speaker 1>whoever you want. But they would be your whole feed.

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<v Speaker 1>Opting to stay in means you won't notice any changes

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<v Speaker 1>and you can keep doom-scrolling and laughing at cats and

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<v Speaker 1>perhaps falling into some pretty dark holes. Communications Minister Annika

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<v Speaker 1>Wells says there's a global reckoning coming for big tech.

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<v Speaker 3>Tech companies can still move fast, but they will no

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<v Speaker 3>longer be allowed to break things because online harms have

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<v Speaker 3>real-world consequences, especially for children, as the parents, advocates and

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<v Speaker 3>educators assembled here today have lived. Girls getting advice from

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<v Speaker 3>chatbots on how to exist on only 600 calories a day.

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<v Speaker 3>Boys being cyberbullied by strangers on online games. And young

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<v Speaker 3>people doing dangerous or illegal things in real life because

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<v Speaker 3>they saw it online.

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<v Speaker 1>Following the death of his 17-year-old son Mac, who was

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<v Speaker 1>targeted by online sexual extortion, Wayne Holdsworth became an advocate

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<v Speaker 1>for better protection for children online. He stood alongside other

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<v Speaker 1>parents who'd lost their children for this announcement in Canberra.

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<v Speaker 4>The genuine compassion shown by the Minister, Minister Wells, and

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<v Speaker 4>the Prime Minister is something that has not been shown

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<v Speaker 4>by the tech giants. They monetise our children, and that

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<v Speaker 4>has been plainly obvious. They have technology to identify how

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<v Speaker 4>old our kids are. They choose not to use it.

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<v Speaker 4>That defines them. So we can't have Mac back. We

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<v Speaker 4>can't have Ollie back. We can't have Tilly back. But

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<v Speaker 4>we can use their deaths as a catalyst to do

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<v Speaker 4>more and to protect the children.

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<v Speaker 2>Of the future.

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<v Speaker 1>Algorithms are in the spotlight following a string of deeply

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<v Speaker 1>distressing news stories from youth suicides related to online content,

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<v Speaker 1>to manosphere and misogynistic views bleeding into real-life behaviours. Australia

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<v Speaker 1>isn't the first to act on this. In February 2024,

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<v Speaker 1>the EU created its Digital Services Act, forcing social media

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<v Speaker 1>giants to allow users to opt out of algorithms. Users

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<v Speaker 1>have reported that opting out resulted in them receiving a

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<v Speaker 1>subpar version of the app, making it less appealing and

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<v Speaker 1>more tempting to opt back in. In Australia, companies could

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<v Speaker 1>face fines of $ 100 million if they don't enact the

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<v Speaker 1>duty of care. Meta, that owns Instagram and Facebook, will

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<v Speaker 1>be one of the companies hit hardest by these changes

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<v Speaker 1>if they do come into effect. Given the impact they

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<v Speaker 1>would have on Meta's business model and profits, and the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that they're based in the United States, some are

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<v Speaker 1>concerned Trump may retaliate against Australia with increased tariffs. We're

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<v Speaker 1>a sovereign nation. We decide our policies based upon the

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<v Speaker 1>Australian national interest. The Prime Minister will do that regardless

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<v Speaker 1>of what the issue is. Some have raised concerns that

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<v Speaker 1>the class divide will be widened by providing users with

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<v Speaker 1>the choice to opt in or out. People without education

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<v Speaker 1>about possible harms might remain exposed to algorithmic rabbit holes. Teachers'

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<v Speaker 1>Consent founder Chanel Contos, who has advocated for changes to algorithms,

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<v Speaker 1>says education is going to be key.

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<v Speaker 5>I think it will be very important for the government

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<v Speaker 5>to continuously raise awareness about the potential harmful and addictive

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<v Speaker 5>features of the algorithm or consuming that sort of content

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<v Speaker 5>so that informed consent can be made and decision-making is

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<v Speaker 5>at truthful capacity for everyday Australians, no matter their background

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<v Speaker 5>or media literacy status is current. We need to ensure

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<v Speaker 5>we improve that.

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<v Speaker 1>Another indirect and perhaps underexplored risk is the way the

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<v Speaker 1>changes may impact small Australian online retailers who use the

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<v Speaker 1>algorithm to reach new customers. And when will the changes

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<v Speaker 1>come about? Well, that's up to the folks in Canberra.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll keep you across this story and all the details

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<v Speaker 1>as this draft piece of legislation is further explored. Thanks

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<v Speaker 1>for listening today. For more news like this, please click

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<v Speaker 1>follow on the quickie wherever you get your podcast and

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<v Speaker 1>please leave a rating and review. Mamma Mia acknowledges the

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<v Speaker 1>this podcast.