New Australian research from the UNSW Institute for Cyber Security, has found many school-approved apps begin collecting children’s data within seconds — often without clear consent. Here’s what families and educators need to know, and what can change. The hidden cost of “trusted” school apps Parents and...
As school holidays end around Australia, many parents are looking for educational ways to keep their children entertained, write Chris Zomer and Niels Kerssens. If you own an Android device and have young children, you may find yourself browsing Google Play for educational and age-appropriate...
Australia is moving to better protect children’s data online, with new rules that could change how apps, games and even school platforms collect and use personal information. Tama Leaver looks at what it means for families. Australia’s privacy laws have been woefully out of date for...
They have lucrative brand deals and strong political opinions. They’re also not real. Behind the scenes, a handful of tech companies are rewriting the rules of global culture....
If you’ve spent much time on TikTok recently, you may have noticed a strange new type of AI brain rot taking over: fruit dramas, report Niusha Shafiabady and Theresa Dicke These AI-generated short dramas feature odd-looking anthropomorphic fruit characters engaging in a range of ethically problematic...
As AI tools and instant information reshape how students learn, schools are shifting focus – from catching plagiarism to teaching critical thinking, creativity and the ethical use of sources. From copying to critical thinking For years, plagiarism was treated as a discipline issue—something to catch and penalise....
With Google, YouTube and AI tools at their fingertips, today’s kids can access information instantly—but knowing what counts as their own work is becoming increasingly blurred. Here’s what parents need to understand about plagiarism now. The new reality: information everywhere For today’s students, information isn’t something they...
New global research shows Australian children were spending more than two hours a day on TikTok before the under-16 social media ban. But that’s only part of the story — gaming platforms, messaging apps and AI tools are quickly filling the gap. TikTok dominated children’s screen...
AI can’t do your Christmas shopping just yet – but next year might be different, reports Jon Whittle I’m a computer scientist and a bad Christmas shopper. Over the weekend, I wondered whether AI systems might be able to help me out. Could I just prompt ChatGPT...
It’s a risky move, writes Lisa M. Given, because the eSafety advisory explains AI companions can “share harmful content, distort reality and give advice that is dangerous”. Google has announced it will roll out its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to children under the age of...
