### Issue 1425 - Monday 9th August, 2021

## In Today's Issue

- ACCC takes Telstra, Optus and TPG to court over selling NBN speeds connections couldn't provide
- Government reveals its basic expectations of internet companies under Online Safety Act
- Google through about buying Epic to prevent its alternative app store competing with theirs
- Fallout from Apple's decision to search everyone's devices for child porn
- Cheap Seagate 4TB HDD, ATuMan laser rangefinder, Google Nest Hub & Doorbell combo, Harman Kardon smart speaker, WD Black SSD

## The News

### ACCC takes Telstra, Optus and TPG to court over selling NBN speeds connections couldn't provide

The ACCC has lodged proceedings against Telstra, Optus and TPG for selling punters NBN plans with speeds their connections could not reach. ACCC boss Rod Sims said that the telcos "promised to tell consumers within a specific or reasonable timeframe if the speed they were paying for could not be reached on their connection. They also promised to offer them a cheaper plan with a refund if that was the case. Instead, we allege, they failed to do these things, and as a result many consumers paid more for their NBN plans than they needed to". This all boils down to the FTTN portion of the NBN being a dog's breakfast. Qualifying a line speed for the premises should be NBN's job, not the ISPs. I hope the telcos fight back and get the court to acknowledge NBN's failure in all this and that the telcos are at NBN's mercy.

### Government reveals its basic expectations of internet companies under Online Safety Act

The federal government has laid out what it wants as "basic online safety expectations" under Online Safety Act that became law in July. With this extension of the government also expects services (the definition of which is so broad that it applies to every layer of the internet) to: "take steps to prevent children accessing class 2 material such as R18+ content", "do more to prevent unlawful or harmful material on anonymous accounts", "take steps against cyber-bullying, non-consensual intimate images of a person and promotion, incitement or instruction in abhorrent violent conduct" and "that users have clear ways to make reports or complaints to services". The eSaftey Commissioner will force tech companies to report how they're meeting those expectations and can fine them if they don't do it. Justin Warren has a great Twitter thread if you want to learn about about the Online Safety Act.

### Google through about buying Epic to prevent its alternative app store competing with theirs

As part of Epic's lawsuit against Google, its been revealed that Google floated the idea of buying Epic to avoid them becoming a competitor to the Play Store, saying Epic's attempts to offer consumers an alternative to the Play Store are a "contagion". Epic has added that Google tried to offer it a special deal to have Fortnite on the Play Store instead of the Epic Games Store, with Google telling Epic that forcing users to install the app outside the store will "limit Epic's reach" and be a "bad experience" for users. Essentially Google acknowledging that they make life hard for apps outside the Play Store. Not the kinda thing you want to be caught saying when you're trying to convince a judge you aren't anti-competitive.

## Something I Saw On The Internet

### Fallout from Apple's decision to search everyone's devices for child porn

- An internal memo sent to Apple employees from the NCMEC (who provide the database of images tech companies check against and who Apple report discoveries to) called people arguing against this new feature "the screeching voices of the minority". I wonder how some of the engineers who worked on this feel and what the debate inside Apple was like?
- Even their staunchest defender, John Gruber, is worried about the slippery slope Apple is currently perched on, saying that it's only a matter of time authoritarian governments insist Apple implement this type of scanning for non-CASM content. What will Apple do then? Simply saying "we promise we won't" isn't good enough.
- Stefano Quintarelli reckons Apple's decision to do CASM scanning client side gives them extra ammo in arguments avoiding government attempts to regulate competition. By allowing 3rd party app stores (for example) it makes it more difficult for Apple to control the content of apps on devices.
- WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart said "I think this is the wrong approach and a setback for people's privacy all over the world. People have asked if we'll adopt this system for WhatsApp. The answer is no". Big words for someone who works at Facebook, but even they know what Apple's done isn't a good look.
- Former Facebook CSO and current director of the Stanford Internet Observatory, Alex Stamos, has a great Twitter thread with his informed and nuanced view of what Apple has done here. I would be putting words in his mouth with a brief summary, but he's not pleased with how Apple has gone about the important task of handling CASM on its platform.

## Bargains

- Seagate 4TB Expansion Desktop Hard Drive - $99 at Officeworks
- ATuMan LS-1 digital laser rangefinder - $19 from Banggood's AU warehouse
- Pre-order a Google Nest Doorbell ($329) and get a Google Nest Hub for free from JB Hi-Fi or the Google Store
- Harman Kardon Citation One Mkii Smart Speaker - $158 from Mobileciti
- WD Black SN850 NVMe M.2 SSD Gen4 500GB - $149 + delivery from Centrecom

## The End

📻 Resuscitator - Regurgitator

😎 The Sizzle is curated by Anthony "@decryption" Agius and emailed every weekday afternoon.

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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.​