Kids need less exposure to alcohol ads Barbara Biggins OAM CF, Hon CEO, CMA, highlights possible changes to TV advertising which will allow even more alcohol advertising. Recent research commissioned by FARE and Cancer Council WA (see Top News this issue) has shown...

Standing up to big tech? Prof Elizabeth Handsley, CMA's President, outlines the government's cynicism in publicly standing up to big tech while privately granting YouTube an exemption from the legislation. If you thought that Australia was getting robust legislation...

You have a decision to make ... Dany Elachi, Co Founder and Movement Director, The Heads Up Alliance, paints a common scenario for parents. Your boy turns 12 next month - and you have a decision to make. Three-quarters of the time you'll ever spend together is already...

Fighting the new ‘norm’? CMA’s Review Coordinator, Dr Debra Dickinson, shares some observations from an Early Childhood and a parent's point of view. I’m fortunate to work with CMA, where we’re keenly aware of the latest news and research on the effects of the digital...

Exemption for online gaming? CMA’s President, Prof. of Law, Elizabeth Handsley, queries the proposed exemption of online gaming in minimum age legislation for social media. The passage of the Australian minimum age legislation for social media is clearly cause for...

Social media at 16: Five common narratives that have left me bewildered CMA’s Vice President, Professor Wayne Warburton, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, was happy to see the passing of the bill which raised access to social media from 13 years...

CMA’s Hon CEO Barbara Biggins, urges action on the Code of Practice for the Australian Commercial Television Industry (2015), which is, at long last, being reviewed The Code of Practice for the Australian Commercial television industry (2015) is, at long last, being...

CMA’s President, Prof. of Law, Elizabeth Handsley, discusses When is a blanket not a blanket? – and other frustrations of the social media debate Maybe I’m biased, but from where I stand, the relationship between children and social media is one of the major global...

‘Channel changes at the ABC: good for children?’ In June, the ABC introduced two new channels – ABC Family and ABC Entertains – and four new digital streams with the aim of bringing together “the best kids, family, and general entertainment titles”, and making it...

CMA’s Hon CEO Barbara Biggins poses, ‘Let’s not mention the classification – might spoil the fun?’ The movie Deadpool & Wolverine has had a huge amount of promotion worldwide over recent weeks.  Ad week says Deadpool & Wolverine at $211m, now sixth highest...

CMA’s President Elizabeth Handsley and Hon CEO Barbara Biggins argue that ‘The Online Safety Act needs to cover more to prevent harm’ Submissions to the review of the Online Safety Act (OSA) have now closed. CMA has argued that there are a lot more areas that impinge...

CMA’s Hon CEO, Barbara Biggins, discusses ‘Are social media bans the best course of action for minimising harm?’ The big topic of conversation this month has been whether, and how, we could ban children under the age of 14 years from accessing social media. There’s...