Latest news with #MichelleRowland
West Australian
12 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Age checking tech works but mostly it asks to see your ID despite government promises
Nearly all the companies involved in a technology trial ahead of the under-16s social media ban check how old people are by matching IDs and selfies, despite the Government insisting no one would be compelled to hand over official documents once the world-leading law starts. The ban will come into effect in December, with the onus on social media companies to make sure children aren't on their platforms. Preliminary findings from the age assurance trial published on Friday show the technology exists and is ready for deployment, although some will be easier to use than others. Project director Tony Allen said the aim was to work out if age assurance could be done, and there was plenty of evidence that it was technically feasible. 'There are lots of systems and processes out there and choices available, but we didn't find a ubiquitous one-size-fits-all solution that would work in all circumstances,' he told The West. An analysis of the methods used by the 32 providers that gave statements to the trial shows that the vast majority use a combination of cross-checking identification documents, such as passports or driver's licences, with facial scans. Former communications minister Michelle Rowland guaranteed in legislation last year that no Australian would be compelled to use government identification documents to verify their age with social media companies. 'Platforms must offer reasonable alternatives to users,' she said when the law passed. The government sees the trial as a way to explore the efficacy of age estimation and verification technology, not a tool to pick one product that social media companies must use. Communications Minister Anika Wells is waiting for the final report, expected to contain hundreds of pages of technical detail, to be handed to her next month. 'The government will be guided by advice from the eSafety Commissioner on the implementation of the law,' her spokesman said. 'We know that social media age-restrictions will not be the end-all be-all solution for harms experienced by young people online, but it's a step in the right direction to keep our kids safer.' Just five of the providers in the trial offered technology that didn't require documents at all. Mostly these worked from selfies or face scans, with one analysing a user's hand movements to determine their age. Several offered services that use a face scan to estimate age, then add a secondary step asking for documentary proof if the person is close to the age threshold. Mr Allen said that type of 'successive validation' was a common process. 'If the gateway is (age) 18, if you're 18, 19, 20, you're more likely, I suspect, to have to produce some more evidence that you're over 18 than maybe if you're in your 30s or 40s,' he said. But there were also services that required official documents to be provided at the outset, including two that scan the information on the chips contained in passports. Andrew Hammond, the trial's deputy project director, said there was a huge variety of technology aimed at doing different jobs in terms of checking someone's age or verifying their identity. Social media platforms were engaged in the trial process, including Meta and Snap who made a joint proposal for how they would check people's ages, although it was conceptual rather than being based on existing technology. Instagram already uses Yoti, which was also involved in the trial, to verify the ages of people it thinks might be under 13 via a video selfie. Digital Industry Group director of regulatory affairs Jenny Duxbury said the peak body for the sector would review the preliminary findings and continue to engage with the Government on how the social media ban could be implemented.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Morning Mail: Trump demands Iran ‘surrender', Watt reveals rock art lobbying, Bowen promises power bill reform
Morning everyone. Donald Trump has raised the stakes in the Middle East by demanding Iran's 'unconditional surrender' and saying that the life of the country's supreme leader will be spared 'for now'. Murray Watt has 'personally lobbied' Unesco envoys to persuade them to change their ruling on the Murujuga rock art in Western Australia, Labor will sketch out a plan to stop energy price gouging, and Alex de Minaur's Wimbledon hopes suffer a blow at Queen's. List lobby | Australia's environment minister, Murray Watt, has lobbied national Unesco ambassadors in a bid to overturn a recommendation against world heritage listing for ancient rock art in Western Australia's north-west. Power play | Energy minister Chris Bowen is expected to announce a review today of the regulations governing the electricity market in an effort to spare households from unreasonable power bill rises in the future. Fatal inaction | Michelle Rowland has described the 'unacceptable' death toll linked to the continued presence of hanging points in Australian jails as 'deeply concerning' and told state and territory governments to 'review their practices'. Exclusive | Sydney tram drivers say the city's light rail infrastructure needs to be made safer after a second fatal incident involving a pedestrian in two years, claiming management are trying to silence their concerns. Birth rights | A system of birth alerts to highlight potentially at-risk children to child protection officers has become a weapon against Indigenous mothers, our investigation reveals. Mayor arrest | Brad Lander, New York City's comptroller and a mayoral candidate, has been arrested by federal agents while visiting an immigration court and accompanying a person out of a courtroom. Middle East| Donald Trump says he wants 'unconditional surrender' from Iran, and says he won't kill the country's supreme leader 'for now'. The US demanded a 'real end' to Iran's nuclear program. The president's hardline remarks prompted thousands to flee the Iranian capital of Tehran, while his abrupt departure from the G7 summit was a lesson in raw power for Iran and Europe, not to mention Australia. Follow developments in the crisis at our live blog. In Gaza, the health ministry claimed 51 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 wounded by Israeli bombing and fire while waiting for food trucks. Birth after death | A Georgia woman who has been brain dead since February was kept on life support to continue her pregnancy and her baby was born late last week, according to the woman's mother. Losing battle | People using weight-loss jabs shed far fewer pounds in the real world than in clinical trials, researchers have found. 'Chain reaction' | The blackout that brought the Iberian peninsula to a standstill in April was caused by surging voltages triggering 'a chain reaction of disconnections', a report has found. Wrong turn | An 80-year-old man drove a car down the Spanish Steps in Rome early on Tuesday before getting stuck and requiring the car to be winched away. Trump cancels on Australia at the G7 Tom McIlroy on what Trump's G7 exit means for Australia's relationship with one of its strongest allies, the future of the Aukus deal and whether Anthony Albanese will get another meeting with Trump. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ Travis Lovett will today complete a 468km walk from Portland in western Victoria to Melbourne to mark the final report of the truth-telling Yoorrook Justice Commission. Lovett, a deputy on the commission, says he has been joined by hundreds of people on his 'walk for truth', underlining the desire to reconcile the state's colonial past. 'We want to move forward, but it needs to be underpinned by truth and by justice,' he says. From a product that pours 'like warm honey' to one that appears more suitable for use in the construction industry, the quality of supermarket tahini varies considerably. This is puzzling, Nicholas Jordan writes in his latest taste test, because they all claim to be made from 100% sesame seeds. How can they differ so much? Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Rugby league | Pressure is mounting on the Maroons as they enter tonight's State of Origin II in Perth needing to win to stay in the series. Tennis | Alex de Minaur has crashed out in the first round of Queen's, leaving Australia's big Wimbledon hope in danger of heading into the grass court grand slam undercooked. Aryna Sabalenka says she has written to Coco Gauff to apologise for the 'unprofessional' comments she made after her loss to the American in the final of the French Open. Formula One | Mercedes has called Red Bull's protest against George Russell's victory over Max Verstappen at Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix 'petty' and 'embarrassing'. The Australian reports on alarm about rat lungworm, a disease infecting dogs in eastern states and which has killed two people. The financial screws are tightening on South Australia's drought-hit farmers, the Advertiser reports. The Courier Mail reckons Brisbane's radio wars 'are at boiling point' with KIIS 97.3's breakfast team facing the axe of more poor ratings. The Rabbitohs' bid to move its home from Sydney Olympic Park to the Allianz Stadium has been rejected by the state government, the Telegraph claims. Canberra | Treasurer Jim Chalmers addresses the National Press Club . Victoria | The final Yoorrook Justice Commission report will be handed to the state government as Travis Lovett finishes his walk. Housing | Clare O'Neil addresses the National Homelessness Conference on the Gold Coast. If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
Hanging points death toll ‘unacceptable', attorney general Michelle Rowland says, urging states to review practices
Michelle Rowland has described the 'unacceptable' death toll linked to the continued presence of hanging points in Australian jails as 'deeply concerning' and told state and territory governments to 'review their practices'. The attorney general has also signalled she will push for accelerated justice reforms during upcoming meetings with her state and territory counterparts at the Standing Council of Attorneys-General forum. 'Every death in custody is a tragedy and the unacceptable number of deaths in custody caused by hanging points is deeply concerning,' a spokesperson for Rowland said. 'The attorney general strongly encourages state and territory governments to review their practices and continue to work toward effective solutions that ensure the safety and dignity of all Australians in the justice system.' A Guardian Australia investigation last week revealed 57 inmates have died in 19 separate prisons using hanging points that authorities knew about but failed to remove, often despite repeated suicides and stark warnings from coroners. At the Arthur Gorrie prison in Brisbane, the same ligature point – a set of exposed bars contained in older-style cells – has been used in 10 separate hanging deaths between 2001 and 2020, despite warnings to the state government as early as 2007 that it 'immediately' fund the removal of the bars. In one of those deaths in 2010, an inmate was sent into a cell containing the bars despite previously telling prison authorities that he had thought of using them to die by suicide, according to coronial findings. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Similar failures were replicated across the state. At the Borallon prison, an inmate hanged himself from a similar set of exposed bars in 2011, five years after the Queensland government was told to 'immediately cover with mesh any bars accessible to prisoners in cells'. At the Townsville prison, two inmates hanged themselves from exposed bars a decade after the government was told to 'immediately' act on hanging points, 'including bars'. The situation was replicated in almost every state in the country. In New South Wales, the Guardian found 20 hangings from ligature points that were known to authorities but not removed. Another 14 deaths were identified in South Australia and seven in Western Australia. The failings have prompted urgent calls from experts and families of the dead for action, including on removing obvious hanging points, but also to improve mental health service delivery to jails. Most of the cases identified by the Guardian revealed failures in mental health treatment, risk assessment, cell placement or information sharing, including the death of Gavin Ellis, who died at Sydney's Silverwater prison complex in 2017. Ellis had a longstanding psychotic illness and had attempted to hang himself twice in his first three days of custody. Despite this, he was not seen by a mental health clinician for eight days, was not reviewed by a psychiatrist for six weeks, and was then sent into a cell with a ligature point that had been used by another inmate in the same unit of the prison two years earlier. 'The system does not have capital punishment, yet it leaves hanging points for inmates to use,' his mother, Cheryl Ellis, told the Guardian. State governments all said they were taking the issues of hanging points seriously, and had conducted long-term programs to make cells safe, as well as investing in better mental health assessment and treatment. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Hanging deaths disproportionately affect Indigenous Australians, owing largely to the failure to decrease their overrepresentation in prison populations. In 2023, First Nations Australians accounted for 33% of the country's prison population – a record high – but just 3% of the overall population. On Tuesday, the former Labor senator Pat Dodson described the death toll using known ligature points as 'totally unacceptable'. Dodson worked on the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody, which in 1991 told state and territory governments to remove hanging points and to enact strategies to reduce the incarceration rate for Indigenous Australians. He joined a group of crossbenchers, including David Pocock, David Shoebridge, Zali Steggall and Lidia Thorpe, in calling for national leadership on the issue. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Katie Kiss, said the removal of hanging points from prison cells to reduce self-harm was a 'key recommendation' from the 1991 royal commission. 'The failure to implement this and … other recommendations exacerbates the ongoing national shame that is Aboriginal deaths in custody,' she said. 'The treatment of our people, particularly when it comes to the administration of the justice system, is a deep stain on this country. They are being failed by an oppressive system that continues to deny their rights.' In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support. Other international helplines can be found at
Perth Now
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Family law reform to stop pets being weaponised
Law reforms will stop family pets from being used to continue carrying out domestic violence when relationships break down. The changes came into effect on Tuesday, and build on previous amendments made by the Albanese government to family law in its first term. The new legislation provides a specific framework for deciding ownership of pets and preventing the use of animals to continue to perpetrate violence. The reforms also give family law courts a new power to help stop sensitive information being viewed or used as evidence in proceedings where the harm in doing so outweighs the need for it. The economic impacts impacts of family violence will be considered when property and finances are being divided between separated couples. The government said the changes highlight Labor's strong commitment to addressing and ending the scourge. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia will be funded to expand their world-leading initiative called the Lighthouse model, which improves risk screening, triage and assessment of family law matters. Information sharing arrangements to protect families against safety risks and the wellbeing of children being placed at the centre of all parenting decisions, were established under previous amendments made by Labor. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said the changes strengthened deterrence while supporting fairer outcomes. "These once-in-a-generation reforms aim to support victim-survivors of family violence to get a fairer outcome in family law matters and prevent long-term disadvantage," she said. "The Albanese government thanks all those involved in the development and implementation of these vital reforms, particularly victim-survivors and family law professionals who shared their stories to inspire change." 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
Perth Now
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Surprise law that doesn't exist in all states
New Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has been called to address 'pathetic' gaps in bestiality laws, where only three states currently outlaw materials showing acts of the animal torture. While the act of bestiality is illegal, only NSW, Western Australia and Tasmania have banned the possession, distribution and production of materials depicting bestiality. NSW Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst said the 'pathetic' gaps in legislation mean authorities don't have the means to convict criminals for committing the horrific crimes. Ms Hurst, who championed stronger laws in NSW, has called for the Commonwealth Criminal Code to introduce new offences for using a carriage service to possess, produce or share animal sexual abuse materials within or outside Australia. She's also calling for a federal taskforce to target offenders perpetrating these crimes. 'Many dangerous criminals are escaping conviction because of gaps in our laws. We must make sure our laws protect children and animals,' she told NewsWire. NSW Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst says the current bestiality laws are lacking on a national basis. NewsWire / Simon Bullard. Credit: News Corp Australia She has called on the new federal Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to act immediately. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia 'While further legislative changes are looking very hopeful in NSW, there is still the enormous issue that across the country, laws are still lacking. 'Given the gravity of the crimes, federal legislation in this space is sorely needed and should be urgently prioritised by the new federal Attorney-General.' Ms Hurst used the example of Northern Territory man Adam Britton who was slapped with a 10 year and five month jail sentence after he pleaded guilt to 60 charges of bestiality, animal cruelty and possessing child abuse material in August 2024. However authorities were unable to charge or convict him of the creation and sharing of bestiality materials due to the lack of such laws in NT legislation. 'There is no law in the NT to prohibit the distribution of such materials so while he was convicted of bestiality, he escaped charges for distribution,' he said. Adam Britton was given a 10-year sentence after pleaded guilty to 60 charges of bestiality, animal cruelty and possessing child abuse material. Credit: Supplied RSPCA NSW general counsel Kathryn Jurd, who has spent eight years running and prosecuting cases for the RSPCA, said differences in state legislation should not act as a barrier to law enforcement charging people with offences which reflect the full extent of their actions. 'When law enforcement discover these heinous crimes, they need to be in a position to charge in a way that reflects exactly what the person has done, what the evidence is capable of proving they have done,' she said. Speaking to the seriousness of cases involving animal sexual abuse material, she said features which 'regularly reoccur' in bestiality cases included the presence of children in the footage, and perpetrators being found in possession of child sexual abuse material. 'People who create animal sexual abuse material don't abide by state lines and the point of the creation of this type of material is often for it to be disseminated globally,' she said. 'Most people would support uniformity, particularly on a topic where there's so much consensus for really strong criminal law coverage across Australia.' An RSPCA lawyer says people who create animal sexual abuse material don't abide by state lines. Credit: News Regional Media While Ms Rowland declined to comment on Ms Hurst's demands, stating that they were a state issue, new shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser gave in-principle support to strengthened laws. 'Acts of bestiality are completely abhorrent,' he said. 'Should the Albanese government seek to introduce national laws to prohibit the creation, possession, and distribution of bestiality materials, I am sure on principle we would be predisposed to support it,' he said.
