Trump will be US President again after defeating Kamala Harris in the election and the US tech industry seems delighted with the result. The Verge collected a bunch of boot licking "Congratulations Mr. Trump, you're so big and powerful!" messages from all the big tech CEOs posting on X (except for Zuck who posted on Threads). Bitcoin had a healthy spike as all the crypto bros are excited they have a bloke who hates regulation in their pocket again. The AI bros are also pumped that the NIST's "woke" AI safety standards are likely to be repealed, along with Biden's US AI Safety Institute. All those attempts by the DoJ, FTC and FCC to reign in big tech companies (Google in particular) are likely to stop too, as Trump removes their mandates and replaces their bosses.
The Prime Minister has confirmed that 16 years old is the age they deem appropriate for Australian kids to start using social media. Albanese will take the plan to a national cabinet meeting tomorrow with the state premiers to see what they think about it. The justification for the upcoming legislation is because the PM wants parents to be able to say, I'm quoting him here - "sorry mate, it's against the law for me to let you do this" when their kids have a sook about not being allowed to use social media. Josh Taylor was at the press conference and said on X that the PM & comms minister "brushed off questions about how it will work because of the trial of the tech that has yet to commence. So if I am reading it right, the legislation may pass before we know how/if it will work". Full transcript of the press conference is on the comms minister's website.
The government also introduced "landmark legislation" establishing the Scams Prevention Framework into Parliament today. The core of this framework is to place more responsibility on "banks, social media platforms and telecommunications companies" to stop scammers reaching customers and users. The Minister can "establish sector‑specific codes" that'll "impose mandatory obligations" to stop scammers, as well as setup "internal dispute resolution mechanisms that are clear, accessible and transparent for consumers". I'm looking forward to social media companies copping some legal heat for allowing so many very obvious scams proliferate on their platforms.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa posted on X that "At today's Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well. Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date". Still no date or any other info about the Switch 2. Oh and also in gaming news, the PlayStation 5 Pro goes on sale today in Australia.
Mr. Musk threw his hands in the air at a rally for Donald Trump — and the internet went wild. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
📻 The Dissociatives - Somewhere Down The Barrel
😎 The Sizzle is curated by Anthony "decryption" Agius and emailed every weekday afternoon.
💬 Checked out the paid subscriber only forum? It's a tidy little place to discuss tech with like minded Aussies.
👋 Forums not your thing? The Sizzle has a Slack group you can procrastinate in and chat with other nerds bored at work.
💳 Paid subscriber looking to manage your billing info, change email address or cancel your subscription? Visit the customer portal.
🎁 Make someone's day and buy them a 12 month gift subscription to The Sizzle.
📚 Browse The Sizzle Archive. A few issues are missing and it's not searchable, but it's better than nothing.
🫂 Friends of The Sizzle is a small group of businesses or organisations operated by Sizzle subscribers. Support your fellow Sizzler!
💔 Tired of my bullshit? Unsubscribe and I'll never speak to you again.
The Sizzle is created on Wathaurong land and acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, recognising their continuing connection to land, water and community. I pay my respect to them and their cultures and to elders both past and present.