TALKING POINT
Best interests of children must be paramount.
Best interests of children must be paramount. To date, Australia’s online safety regime has not required industry to make the best interests of children paramount when designing or offering services used by children. The Federal Government has recently proposed that a...
Safety by design: an idea whose time has come in Australia?
CMA’s President, Prof. of Law, Elizabeth Handsley, puts forward, 'Safety by design: an idea whose time has come in Australia?' Imagine a world where you could let children go online with as much confidence as you can give them a glass of water out of the tap. Nobody...
How did this happen?
A parent has sent us her concerns about a trailer seen recently by her children. We’re sharing it as this month’s Talking Point. How did this happen? During our Sunday morning children’s cartoons viewing on 9Go on October 22, I saw the following commercial for the...
Online gambling and its impacts – It’s time for the public interest to be put first!
In response to the inquiry into online gambling and its impacts, CMA’s Hon. CEO, Barbara Biggins OAM CF, puts forward the need for urgent action. We seem to have been waiting a long time for government action on the promotion of gambling. The public and CMA have been...
The AANA needs to listen to community concerns about scary content
CMA’s Hon. CEO, Barbara Biggins OAM CF, explains why the AANA must listen to community concerns about scary content Advertisements with scary images can stay with a child, causing sleep disturbances and ongoing unnecessary fears and anxieties. These impacts are not...
CMA’s President, Prof. of Law, Elizabeth Handsley, reviews the AANA’s revised Code for marketing to children
CMA’s Prof. Elizabeth Handsley reviews the AANA’s revision of its Children’s Advertising Code The Australian Association of National Advertisers, or AANA, recently revealed the revisions it is making to its Children’s Advertising Code (the Code). These will come into...
‘Outside the Screen’ Podcast
'Outside the Screen' Podcast CMA's President, Prof. Elizabeth Handsley, has partnered with Dr Kim Le, child and adolescent psychiatrist, in a new podcast, 'Outside the Screen'. Kim and Liz will be discussing research and policy developments about children's...
The AANA, food ads and kids: unpacking the propaganda
The AANA, food ads and kids: unpacking the propaganda Prof. Elizabeth Handsley, President of Children and Media Australia On 19 June 2023, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport put out a media release about plans for a public...
Classification changes: a quick fix, not the needed root and branch overhaul!
Classification changes: a quick fix, not the needed root and branch overhaul! Prof. Elizabeth Handsley, President of Children and Media Australia The Australian government recently announced some changes to the way the National Classification Scheme is to operate....
Scary content really affects children
Scary ads, inadequate Codes and Classification Scheme When will the advertising industry get the message, and respond appropriately to the decades-long and well-justified beef of parents about scary trailers in family-type programs?The Australia's National...
Finally! Stevens review of classification released, but no-age-based categories!
Finally! Stevens review of classification released, but no-age-based categories! Well! After nearly three years, the government has finally released the Stevens Review of classification in Australia. While recommending some fine principles such as the need for the...
Who actually did this research review for government? And does it matter?
Who actually did this research review for government? And does it matter? In October 2021, during a consultation with the Classification Policy group of the Dept of Communications, CMA was invited to comment on a recently commissioned research review of the impact of...