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The White House has warned Australia over its proposed digital duty of care bill, which forces social media and US-based tech giants to remove harmful content. The draft bill aims to protect children from harmful content such as eating disorders, misogyny, pornography, glorifying crime, abuse, and cyberbullying, while also ensuring adults are shielded from illegal material.
In a statement, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said President Trump has unequivocally warned trading partners against imposing digital services taxes, fines, or other forms of extortion on America’s leading technology sector. The administration remains committed to raising these issues with trading partners.
Meanwhile, diesel prices in Australia have surged to their highest since April, with Canberra reaching $2.70 per litre. Oil prices have risen due to ongoing tensions in Iran, with Brent crude hovering near US$100 per barrel and Singapore’s Tapis crude reaching about US$120 per barrel.
The Australian government has also announced targeted measures to deter Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, though it has not followed the UK’s example of implementing a blanket trade ban. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong emphasized that Australia will coordinate with international partners to address illegal settlements and violence but warned against blanket bans, which could have unintended consequences for businesses, Palestinians, and Israelis.
Additionally, ANZ’s chief economist, Luca Ittimani, argued that Australia’s booming house prices must decline, noting that a 3.6% nationwide drop since March is marginal compared to the 6.5% annual rise over the past three decades. He dismissed recession fears, citing low mortgage defaults.
The article also covers unrelated events, such as the death of Blanche d’Alpuget, a writer and widow of former PM Bob Hawke, and political discussions on historical drug use, but these are not central to the main topic of the digital duty of care bill and its implications for tech regulation and international relations.
Source: The Guardian
