Top News:
Josh Taylor / The Guardian:
Australia's ban on under-16 social media users takes effect, as Meta, YouTube, and others remove users; platforms that don't comply risk up to AU$49.5M in fines — Accounts held by users under 16 must be removed on apps that include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and Threads under ban
Discussion:
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Nic Fildes / Financial Times:
As Australia enacts the world's first under-16 social media ban, a look at the implications, reaction from parents and teens, and more — Under-16s will no longer be able to subscribe to popular apps under groundbreaking Australian law — Kirstin Hunter was picking up her daughter …
Discussion:
Engadget, BBC, Mirror, RTÉ, The Guardian, USA Today, KDFX-TV, The Register, SBS News, The Free Press, Associated Press, The Conversation, Tom's Guide, IJR, Fox News, NDTV Profit, CBS News, Forbes, NBC News, New York Times, YouTube, Fortune, CNET and Mediaweek
The Guardian:
Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant says under-16s slipping through the cracks of the social media ban will be “booted off” the platforms in time — Albanese says commencement of ban a ‘proud day’ for him as prime minister, while eSafety commissioner unconcerned by reports of children bypassing restrictions
Discussion:
Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald, Telegraph and ABC, more at Techmeme »
Tim Wu / New York Times:
WBD merging with either Netflix or Paramount should be challenged by US antitrust authorities and would be bad for US streaming market competition — Business leaders are fond of saying that if there's one thing they want from the law, it is certainty — clear rules to plan around.
Discussion:
Financial Times, New York Times, Variety, @cmthiede@social.vivaldi.net, Barrett Media, Plain Dealer, The Entertainment Strategy Guy, Washington Examiner, JD Supra, Benzinga, Daring Fireball, AzerNews, @ppopiel.bsky.social, Benzinga, Courthouse News Service, Cord Cutters News, The Wrap, Time, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren …, Media Play News, Stratechery, Yahoo Finance, Deadline, USA Today, RUMBLE and Inc.com
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Christopher Palmeri / Bloomberg:
Money manager Mario Gabelli said it's “highly likely” he will tender his clients' WBD shares to Paramount in an effort to spark a bidding war for WBD
Discussion:
Benzinga, Blockchain.News, Financial Times and Techdirt
Washington Post:
Right-wing influencers such as Benny Johnson, Laura Loomer, and Jack Posobiec campaign against Netflix's bid for WBD, casting Netflix as a Democratic stronghold
Right-wing influencers such as Benny Johnson, Laura Loomer, and Jack Posobiec campaign against Netflix's bid for WBD, casting Netflix as a Democratic stronghold
Financial Times:
Inside Paramount's new WBD bid: after six failed proposals across 12 weeks, and alleging WBD's board ignored a final offer, Paramount went hostile to buy WBD
Inside Paramount's new WBD bid: after six failed proposals across 12 weeks, and alleging WBD's board ignored a final offer, Paramount went hostile to buy WBD
Discussion:
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Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Disney nominates former Apple COO Jeff Williams to its board; he retired from Apple in November after overseeing the design team, supply chain work, and more — Williams retired from the tech giant earlier this year. — The board of directors of The Walt Disney Co. is getting a veteran tech executive.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Reuters, 9to5Mac, MacRumors, Business Wire, Deadline, Variety, Bloomberg and AppleInsider
Wall Street Journal:
Chernin Group agrees to take a minority stake in Entangled Publishing, a publisher of romance-fantasy books; sources say the deal values Entangled at ~$400M — Deal values publisher of popular ‘Fourth Wing’ books at $400 million — Media executive Peter Chernin's private-equity firm …
New York Times:
A look at Alan's Universe, a YouTube channel for Gen Alpha with 98.3M subscribers that releases long-form, episodic videos as viewers shift to watching on TV — As Gen Alpha's attention drifts from TV and movies, video creators like Alan Chikin Chow are eager to fill the void.
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Email: USA Today EIC Caren Bohan has abruptly left the company, the second editor in chief to do so in less than two years; she became EIC in September 2024 — Caren Bohan, who was named editor in chief in September 2024, will no longer continue in her role “effective immediately,” the company told employees.
Luke Bouma / Cord Cutters News:
Crunchyroll announces it is shutting down its free ad-supported streaming option on December 31; Crunchyroll subscriptions start at $7.99/month or $79.99/year — Crunchyroll will eliminate its ad-supported free tier on December 31, 2025, ending the last remaining way to legally watch anime …
Discussion:
Screen Rant, Anime Mojo, CNET, PCMag, Mashable and Android Authority, more at Techmeme »
Reporters Without Borders:
At least 53 of the 67 journalists killed in the past 12 months were victims of war or criminal networks; 503 journalists are detained globally, 121 in China — Organisation: — RSF_en — Journalists do not just die - they are killed. The number of murdered journalists has risen again …
Discussion:
ABC, @victinibcn.bsky.social, TheJournal.ie, @josiegz.bsky.social, @marikamikiashvili.bsky.social, @meganotoole.bsky.social, @brianstelter.bsky.social, vaticannews.va, Journalism.co.uk, Courthouse News Service, National Enquirer, Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel, CNN, France 24 and Middle East Monitor
Emily Sundberg / Feed Me:
Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie says Substack is starting to test native sponsorships with some writers but won't take a cut for now — “During the pilot, Substack is simply facilitating payments and is not taking a cut.” — ∙ Paid — Hello everyone.
Discussion:
Substack, @emily_sundberg, @alexeheath and Adweek, more at Techmeme »
Michael Luo / @michaelluo:
The New Yorker adds Jason Zengerle and Ruby Cramer as staff writers for politics and Jon Allsop as a contributing writer; Emily Nussbaum will be theater critic — News from @NewYorker! Welcome to @zengerle @rubycramer @jon_allsop. New beat for @emilynussbaum. Also, belated welcome to @RuthMarcus @lsjamison and Manvir Singh. [image]
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter
Jaspreet Singh / Reuters:
Spotify rolls out music videos to Premium subscribers in the US and Canada, following a beta launch in nearly 100 markets last year — Spotify (SPOT.N) said on Tuesday it is making music videos available to premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, as the Swedish streaming giant challenges YouTube for market share.
Discussion:
Spotify, iClarified, Android Police, 9to5Mac, Digital Music News, KARE-TV, Thurrott, iPhone in Canada, Benzinga, MobileSyrup, Billboard, The Verge, Engadget, TechCrunch, Hypebot, Deadline and Inside Radio, more at Techmeme »
