Get off the internet: more dates, chats to go offline
It is not just governments considering social media bans: a study shows more Australians plan to disconnect and spend less time online.
children
Social media ban ‘unenforceable’, experts say
Keeping Australian children under 16 off social media will be unenforceable and tech giants should not be tasked with age verification, experts say.
Baby Shark won’t bite: YouTube entertainers issue plea
Prominent Australian children's entertainers are urging the federal government to pardon YouTube from its proposed social media ban to save an industry.
‘We have your back’: push to ban kids from social media
A push to ban Australian children under the age of 16 from social media has the support of families who have experienced the dark side of online content.
Woman dies, police injured in ‘stolen’ car crash
A woman has died and a 16-year-old is in custody after a vehicle was allegedly stolen at gun point before crashing into a car and police north of Brisbane.
Social media ban nearly past the post as queries remain
A social media ban for children younger than 16 is set to come into effect in 2025 after state leaders signed off on the "world-leading" measure.
Peg supplies questioned at fatal jumping castle hearing
The families of children who died after a jumping castle became airborne have watched in court as photos of the blood-stained equipment were shown.
Youth advocates poke holes in teen social media curbs
A lack of detail about proposed social media curbs is causing teens anxiety, young online safety and mental health representatives have told an inquiry.
State repeatedly failed girl, 12, before murder charge
A troubled 12-year-old girl's treatment before she was charged over a deadly Melbourne stabbing has been slammed by Victoria's children commissioner.
Corpse disposal claim against Tyrrell foster mum tested
Allegations William Tyrrell's foster mother hid his body after he accidentally died at a coastal property 10 years ago are being examined by a coroner.
Peg safety ‘failures’ in school jumping castle tragedy
A jumping castle was allegedly insufficiently tethered at the time it was swept up by strong winds, killing six children.
Plea for action over death of six kids in protection
Six children connected to Victoria's child protection system have died in the last three months, sparking a plea for more action to protect vulnerable kids.
‘Tragic accident’: boy dies as car crashes into school
A boy has been killed and four other children seriously injured after a woman collecting a child crashed through a fence and into a Melbourne school.
Childcare sector ‘sleepwalking’ into market domination
A pay increase will help bolster the childcare sector but there are warnings more must be done to address market concentration and keep costs low for families.
Adults only: online codes to limit porn, gaming access
Australian internet users will have their age tested before they can access some gaming and pornographic websites under wide-ranging online safety proposals.
Mum of ‘precious’ girl killed by teen fights for reform
The family of a 10-year-old killed by a teenager have presented a petition to the NSW parliament calling for an inquest and scrutiny of the legal system.
Young children face jail again under controversial laws
The Northern Territory government has passed controversial laws to once again lower the age of criminal responsibility.
AFL Hall of Famer to stand trial for child sexual abuse
Champion footballer Carl Ditterich, who played 285 VFL games across the 1960s and '70s, will stand trial accused of sexually abusing a girl almost 40 years ago.
Teen accused of woman’s murder seeks police evidence
A solicitor for a teenage boy accused of murdering a grandmother says all involved have been "frustrated" by delays in gaining access to evidence for the case.
Australia leads world in slaying social media ‘monster’
Australia will lead the world in cleaning up the mess that has made social media an urgent health crisis for children, a US expert says.
Experts back age limit at landmark social media summit
Laws will be needed for social media companies to comply with any age limit on users, one premier says as experts back calls to restrict youth access.
New commissioner established: ‘our children deserve it’
A national commissioner to promote the rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people will be appointed by the federal government.
No jury for teen murder trial after election spotlight
A teenager accused of a woman's stabbing murder has been granted a judge-only trial after youth crime emerged as a key Queensland election issue.
Buggy death jail term a ‘slap in the face’ for family
A man's decision to take seven children onto a buggy without helmets or seatbelts has been described as grossly negligent after a young girl died in a crash.
Banning kids from social media could cause greater harm
Mental health experts don't support proposals to ban children from accessing social media and are warning it could have unintended consequences.
‘Even US’ doing better on youth justice than Australia
Australia needs to dump its tough on crime approach towards kids and become accountable for its failures in child protection, the children's commissioner says.
Rolling the dice: kids aged 10 caught in gambling haze
One in three parents are worried about their teens gambling, with children aged under 10 among those treated for related health problems.
Children would lie about their age to evade YouTube ban
A teenage media proprietor says young Australians need to know more about a proposed social media ban as it could impact their education.
Cleo Smith’s abductor loses appeal against sentence
Cleo Smith's abductor Terence Kelly has failed to have his jail sentence reduced on appeal after he attempted to argue it was excessive and a judge had erred.
Advice on negative gearing ‘not unusual’: Treasurer
While the government has downplayed speculation it's contemplating changes to negative gearing, it's also not ruling it out.
Big states still truant in school funding stoush
Pressure is mounting on some of Australia's biggest states after Tasmania became the third jurisdiction to agree to the Commonwealth's school funding deal.