Most complained about ads in last six months

Ad Standards has released the top most complained about ads from January to June 2021.  There is a scary film trailer on TV at number 6

UK will keep junk food ads out of early evening 

Industry mostly don’t like it but some talk commonsense

However, it seems the Australian government thinks a ban is not necessary

And after all, from 1 November, we will have new AANA self regulatory Food & Beverage Advertising Code provisions which will apply to all food and beverage advertising across all media.  So that’s all right then?

Australia’s Online safety Bill passes senate
The Bill hands significant new powers to the eSafety Commissioner to order the removal of content and blocking of sites that don’t comply. Read about it

And a detailed analysis of what it achieves is here

Is your phone listening in to you?

It turns out it doesn't have to; it's all about cookies

Mock toys highlight online risks

UK campaign group 5Rights has launched 'Twisted Toys', including a Share Bear which gathers and shares a child’s data and a Pocket Troll which scrutinises every moment of a child’s day and bombards them with unkind comments.  The group says the aim of the campaign is to help parents understand the dangers children can be exposed to online

You Tube kids under attack in US

Congress members say they are worried its default autoplay setting is a manipulative design tactic meant to keep children online for as long as possible. Story here

Clarification of social media laws

Ad Standards Australia has found two social media influencers breached the Australian Association of National Advertisers Code of Ethics in relation to their obligations to disclose paid promotions on social media platforms. Here’s their obligations

Two Australian children’s series win at Banff festival

Congratulations!
Live Action: Children - First Day   from Epic Films, ABC Australia
Animation: preschool - Bluey  from Ludo Studios, Qld

ACMA report on how we watch and listen

This interactive report Communications and media in Australia: How we watch and listen to content shows the ways we watch and listen to online and offline content and services

Preschool media regulation and emotions

An examination of the associations between temperament, parental media emotion regulation, and problematic media use in young children

NZ studies on screen time

An article on two recently published studies using information from NZ's largest longitudinal study of child development, Growing Up in New Zealand, looked at the prevalence of preschoolers’ screen time; identified predictors of higher screen time for children at two years of age; and investigated how pre-schoolers’ screen time could impact on executive functions and symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity

RACV advice on screens and eye strain

Eight expert tips to prevent and reduce digital eye strain

See our list of reviews of July school holiday movies

ACCM has gathered together its reviews so you can choose what might be age-appropriate and fun for your family

LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes  includes 45 action packed missions featuring popular Marvel characters such as Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Hulk, or Captain America. Not suitable under 9; parental guidance to 12 (mild cartoon action violence, in-app purchases). Also uses Dangerous permissions

ABC Song - Rhymes Videos, Games, Phonics Learning is an educational app designed for preschoolers. It teaches basic skills of letters, numbers, shapes, colours, sorting, etc in a fun and colourful way. Basic fine motor skills required. Not suitable under 3; parental guidance to 8 (online connectivity, advertising). CAUTION: Offline play for younger children is strongly recommended.  Uses Dangerous permissions and Transmits sensitive data