Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest has launched criminal proceedings against Meta (formerly Facebook) for false cryptocurrency advertisements. Forrest alleged that Meta has breached Australian money laundering laws by permitting misleading cryptocurrency ads that featured images of Forrest to promote scam coins. The case was brought before the Western Australian Magistrates Court whereby Forrest argued that Meta …
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently urged El Salvador to remove Bitcoin as legal tender status from its economy. El Salvador was the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as a legal tender on 7 September 2021. This was a monumental event as it saw Bitcoin and cryptocurrency as having real-world utility, albeit …
The music streaming industry has been revolutionised over the past decades. From physical discs to instantaneous access, streaming music has never been easier. However, with infinite access and centralised control, does the music streaming industry need regulation? Spotify is the most popular online music streaming platform, boasting 381 million monthly paying users. Spotify’s business model …
The Department of Home Affairs has prepared a discussion paper outlining the plan to modernise and streamline Australia’s electronic surveillance legislative framework by 2023. The discussion paper addresses the need to consolidate existing legislation into a new system. Currently, electronic surveillance legislation includes the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 (Cth), Surveillance Devices Act 2004 …
The Federal Court of Australia has ruled against Aristocrat for the patent of an electronic gambling machine (EGM). The Court reversed the decision of the primary judge against Aristocrat to clarify the eligibility for patents. The Federal Court noted that patent eligibility does not occur via a two-stage enquiry as previously held by the primary …
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCA) has commenced a new program to broaden accessibility to technology to regional areas in Tasmania. This pilot program is designed to reduce the stress and costs associated with court proceedings, which are generally located in major Tasmanian cities. Electronic hearings have several socio-economic and environmental benefits, …
Australia and the United States have signed the Clarifying Lawful Use of Data (Cloud) Act to enable Australian and US law enforcement agencies and social media companies to easily share data. This Act was passed in response to the increase in online crime. Both Australia and the US now have the ability to demand data …
New technology will now enable the Australian Federal Police to build criminal profiles with DNA obtained from crime scenes. The Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) tool will allow forensic police to predict the gender, eye colour, hair colour, and biogeographical ancestry of criminals. This futuristic technology is set to revolutionise crime scene investigations. The purpose of …
Australian computer scientist, Craig Wright, has gotten one step closer to confirming his identity as the founder of Bitcoin. The creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, has remained anonymous since Bitcoin’s first appearance in 2009. Many have come forward to claim the title of creator and one such individual is Australian computer scientist, Craig Wright. Wright …
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recently decided to not oppose Meta’s proposed acquisition of Kustomer. Meta, previously known as Facebook, has shifted its brand to establish a new age digital world. Meta primarily generates revenue from advertising and related services on its digital platforms of Facebook and Instagram. Comparatively, Kustomer is a small …
