In a bad omen for the free internet Australia has banned YouTube for under-16s. This is getting ridiculous…
The Labor Party under Anthony Albanese passed legislation last year to ban social media for children with massive fines for companies that failed to enforce age verification. YouTube claimed it was not such a service as it had an educational and entertainment component. Obviously true…
That designation has been overturned by Canberra. YouTube says: “Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens. It’s not social media.” As Ofcom has today observed in its annual media report…
The legislation as currently drafted has almost no detail on enforcement or monitoring. Legislate first, come up with the details later…
Labour is considering following the same route here in the UK. Late last year the Times reported: “Peter Kyle, the science and technology secretary, is said to be watching developments in Australia, which announced last week that under-16s would be banned from sites such as Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok… the government was keen on the “principle” and would be willing and “open-minded” to support the measures.” Judging by Downing Street’s bold Savile-based communications strategy on the Online Safety Act it would have no issue pushing ahead with further bans…
The government’s main announcement today is actually from March. Recess has only just started and Labour is already whipping the dead horse…
Compare today’s government press release trumpeted up by Heidi Alexander on the morning round: “First-time buyers to benefit from 40,000 new homes on brownfield railway land” with one from March: “Network Rail property company set to unlock up to 40,000 new homes over the next decade.” Over a decade it will be 4,000 homes per year. A laughable amount anyway, did someone say zombie government?
British business is heading for its worst quarter since the dark days of the pandemic in 2020, with private sector activity expected to tumble to -18% in the three months to September, according to the latest numbers from the Confederation of British Industry. Don’t mention the ‘G’ word…
It comes off the back of a bruising summer, with activity already having fallen to -26% in the three months to June. Activity has broadly been falling since the ‘growth’ budget…
Alpesh Paleja, the CBI’s deputy chief economist said:
“Companies are still grappling with higher employment costs, cautious spending behaviour on the part of households, and increasing global uncertainty. But firms will be looking for further certainty in the Autumn Budget to boost the UK’s overall competitive edge.”
Meanwhile, households’ total liquid assets increased by £8.8 billion in June according to the Bank of England – almost double the increase recorded in May – as families stop spending amid surging prices thanks to Reeves’ tax raid. The Chancer of the Exchequer can’t spin this one…
Ofcom’s annual state of the media report reveals that YouTube has overtaken ITV to become the country’s second most-consumed media service. Behind only the BBC…
YouTube is consumed for 39 minutes on average every day with 14% of total hours viewed. The BBC is on 19%, ITV 12%, and Netflix on 8%. YouTube consumption among over-55s has almost doubled in a year…
The video hosting platform is the most popular for the 4-34 age group while linear TV “continued its long-term decline in 2024.” The findings are written up variously as “YouTube most popular TV choice for younger Brits, Ofcom finds” and “BBC risks exodus as older viewers flock to YouTube.” Ofcom says YouTube’s variety of content including long-form video have increased its draw. The curtains are closing on legacy media output…
Labour has doubled down on the ludicrous claim made by Science Secretary Peter Kyle yesterday who said Nigel Farage is “on the same side as Jimmy Savile” for opposing the heavy-handed Online Safety Act. Appearing on Sky News this morning, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if she agreed with the comments. She replied:
“Nigel Farage is in effect saying that he’s on their side, as he’s wanting to repeal the online safety act.”
Yesterday Farage hit back live on-air, branding the accusation a “revolting slander” and has since written in The Telegraph that the “smear won’t stop him from defending free speech”. The bizarre attack is a political gift to Farage. Co-conspirators would be forgiven for thinking there are secret Reform sleeper agents in No10 at this rate…
After Starmer confirmed today that the UK will recognise Palestine as a state by UNGA in September unless a ceasefire is reached, President Trump told reporters he never discussed the decision with Starmer, adding:
“You’re rewarding Hamas if you do that. I don’t think they should be rewarded. I’m not in that camp.”
Earlier this afternoon Foreign Secretary David Lammy said “it wouldn’t be right for me to comment on private conversations” when asked whether Starmer told Trump about the move. Meanwhile the Israeli government posted on X that they “reject the statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.” Starmer’s decision will have far-reaching consequences…
UPDATE: Benjamin Netanyahu responds:
“Starmer rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism & punishes its victims. A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW. Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen.”
Paula Barker, Liverpool Wavertree MP backing Andy Burnham, told Times Radio there wouldn’t be trouble from the markets under Burnham:
“The markets will have to fall in line.”