Australian Government receives green light for a National Digital ID system

The Australian Government receives approval from all states and territories to roll out the National Digital ID system. The National Digital ID system is designed to create one-stop shop for Australian people interacting with government services. This would be similar to a MyGov account except it would be verified and used for local state and …

Federal Court rejects Google’s bid to throw out Epic Games lawsuit

The Epic Games (Epic) lawsuit saga continues in 2022 with the Federal Court of Australia ordering a stay on proceedings against Google. In late 2020, Epic brought a lawsuit against Apple over anti-competitive and anti-consumer practices. Epic accused Apple of breaching Australian consumer law due to Apple’s restriction on the mobile device marketplace. Apple effectively …

Criminal proceedings issued against Meta for false cryptocurrency ads

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 …

International Monetary Fund questions Bitcoin in El Salvado

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 …

Should the music streaming industry be regulated?

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 …

Proposed reform to Australia’s electronic surveillance framework

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 …

Last modified on April 5th, 2022 at 1:43 pm

Federal Court of Australia rules against online gambling patent

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 …

FCFCA improves access to technology in regional Tasmania

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, …

Last modified on December 22nd, 2021 at 3:48 pm

Australia signs Data Sharing Act with the USA

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 …

Last modified on December 22nd, 2021 at 3:35 pm

Australian Federal Police will soon predict criminal profiles through DNA

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 …