Tech Mirror

In the first episode in a deep dive into tech and geopolitics, Johanna Weaver sits down with Martijn Rasser, Vice-President of Technology Leadership at the US Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP). The pair talk about strategic technology competition between the US & China, and what this means for middle power countries like Australia. They also discuss SCSP’s new ‘Tech Scorecards’, the Pax Silica agreement, how conflict in the Middle East is impacting global semi-conductors supply chains, Anthropic’s battle with the US Department of War, and President Trump’s approach to tech policy.  Links SCSP’s Tech Scorecard: https://scorecard.scsp.ai Pax Silica declaration (original, from December 2025): https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/pax-silica-declaration-countries-attending-pax-silica-summit-12-december-2025  TPDi’s AI Agency Discussion Draft: www.techpolicy.au/ai-agency  For transcript and full show notes visit techpolicy.au/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode Johanna Weaver catches up with Jess Wilson, CEO of Good Things; David Masters, Head of Global Public Policy at Atlassian; Lizzie O’Shea, Chair of Digital Rights Watch;  Nick Davis, Co-Director at the UTS Human Technology Institute; and  Meredith Hodgman, Head of Strategy from the Tech Policy Design Institute.  Each of them attended the  recent AI Action Summit in Delhi, a conference that started in at Bletchley Park in 2023 and is now one of the largest gatherings of AI experts in the world. The summits started with a firm focus on safety and existential risk, but have evolved progressively - the focus in India was opportunity & impact. Our guests share what it was like on the ground in Delhi and what their main takeaways have been. Sovereignty, social impact, and human capital are just some of the themes traversed in this episode.  Links AI Impact Summit Communique: https://d19ob9sqegt2wc.cloudfront.net/stage/uploads/AI_Impact_Summit_Declaration_f208574dfc.pdf  A/Minister Charton’s Speech: https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/charlton/speeches/speech-australian-business-economists-conference Collective Intelligence Project Global Dialogues: https://www.cip.org/globaldialogues  TPDi’s AI Sovereignty to AI Agency Discussion Paper: https://techpolicy.au/ai-agency   For transcript and full show notes visit techpolicy.au/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To start off our new season of Tech Mirror, Johanna Weaver is join by her co-founder at the Tech Policy Design Institute, Zoe Hawkins, and the pair look forward into 2026 and take a punt on predicting the hot tech policy topics for the year. Will Australia use its position as a middle power leader to shape technology, rather than just react to it? What domestic tech policy issues will take flight this year? What steps will Australia take to harness the potential of AI? We’ll have to wait till December to see just how well we do with our predictions. Until then, enjoy the episode. For full show notes visit techpolicy.au/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the final episode of TPDi’s 5-part Tech Mirror mini-series, Australia vs Social Media: Inside the world-first online safety experiment.   In this episode, we turn our attention to the future, looking at policy priorities for the Government going forward, including privacy law reform, a prohibition on unfair trading practices, competition codes, and the introduction of a digital duty of care.  We also call on the Tech Mirror community to get involved and help shape Australian tech policy to make sure that it works well for everyone.   Featured experts in this episode include Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind, Lizzie O’Shea from Digital Rights Watch, ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, and clinical psychologist Dr Danielle Einstein, author of The Dip, the Einstein Report & Co-author of Raising Anxiety.  Links:  PM Press Conference at Parliament House (30 July 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv-ZQ6jyLxw   Children’s Online Privacy Code, via the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-registers/privacy-codes/childrens-online-privacy-code   Age appropriate design: a code of practice for online services, Information Commissioner’s Office (UK)  https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/childrens-information/childrens-code-guidance-and-resources/age-appropriate-design-a-code-of-practice-for-online-services/   Regulatory reform in digital platform markets is needed to improve competition and consumer outcomes, via the ACCC (June 2025)  https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/regulatory-reform-in-digital-platform-markets-is-needed-to-improve-competition-and-consumer-outcomes   Minister for Communications announcement of duty of care obligations (November 2024) https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/rowland/media-release/new-duty-care-obligations-platforms-will-keep-australians-safer-online  Statutory Review of the Online Safety Act 2021, led by Delia Rickard, released February 2025 https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/rowland/media-release/report-online-safety-act-review-released  Minister for Communications Press Conference regarding digital duty of care survey (November 2025): https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/transcript/press-conference-canberra-0    Minister for Communications media release on commitment to digital duty of care (November 2025) https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/media-release/government-continues-commitment-online-safety   Government survey on digital duty of care online (November 2025) https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/media-release/government-continues-commitment-online-safety   Credits  Written and narrated by Johanna Weaver, Executive Director, Tech Policy Design Institute.  Produced by Olivia O’Flynn & Kate Montague, Audiocraft.  Research by Amy Denmeade.  Original music by Thalia Skopellos.  Created on the lands of the Ngunnawal, Ngambri people and the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.   Special thanks to all the team at the Tech Policy Design Institute, without whom the pod would not be possible, especially Zoe Hawkins, Meredith Hodgman, and Dorina Wittmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is episode 4 of TPDi’s 5-part Tech Mirror mini-series, Australia vs Social Media: Inside the world-first online safety experiment.   In this episode, we do a deep dive into the practicalities of implementing the Social Media Minimum Age legislation. What is likely to happen on 10th December when the law comes into effect? We answer some of the main questions that Australian young people and their parents and carers might have.   We hear from the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind, deputy program director of the Age Assurance Technology Trial Andrew Hammond, clinical psychologist Dr Danielle Einstein, author of The Dip, the Einstein Report & Co-author of Raising Anxiety, Professor Amanda Third, co-director of the Young and Resilient Research Centre at Western Sydney University, and Minh Hoang, a member of the eSafety Commissioner’s Youth Advisory Council.  Links:  eSafety Commissioner’s Social Media age restrictions hub https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions-hub  eSafety appoints Stanford University-led academic advisory group to assess the impacts of the Social Media Minimum Age obligation (September 2025) https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/esafety-appoints-stanford-university-led-academic-advisory-group-to-assess-the-impacts-of-the-social-media-minimum-age-obligation  Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) resources on the social media minimum age https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/your-privacy-rights/social-media-minimum-age  The Dip, founded by Dr Danielle Einstein https://www.thedip.com/   Young Men Online https://www.esafety.gov.au/research/young-men-online   Cyberbullying https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/cyberbullying   Sextortion https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/image-based-abuse/deal-with-sextortion   Parental Controls https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/parental-controls   Press Conference: Social Media minimum Age Platform Assessments, Minister for Communications media release (November 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9CIZK_12Zc   Meta announces it will begin implementing required changes from 4 December https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-19/meta-to-block-teens-from-instagram-facebook-week-early/106028014  Family Tech Agreement Template (eSaftey, good for younger children): https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources/family-tech-agreement  Family Tech Contract (Think you know, good for teenagers): https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/find-advice/building-safe-online-habits   Headspace guide to the social media ban https://headspace.org.au/our-impact/campaigns/social-media-ban/  ReachOut https://about.au.reachout.com/home  Kids Helpline https://kidshelpline.com.au/   Lode a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/your-privacy-rights/social-media-minimum-age   Credits  Written and narrated by Johanna Weaver, Executive Director, Tech Policy Design Institute.  Produced by Olivia O’Flynn & Kate Montague, Audiocraft.  Research by Amy Denmeade.  Original music by Thalia Skopellos.  Created on the lands of the Ngunnawal, Ngambri people and the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.   Special thanks to all the team at the Tech Policy Design Institute, without whom the pod would not be possible, especially Zoe Hawkins, Meredith Hodgman, and Dorina Wittmann. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.