The Labor government's surplus budget has foreshadowed more protection of personal data plus measures to combat online scams and more budget to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to fight misinformation.
The national news agency, Australian Associated Press (AAP), also gets special funding and the budget includes cash for media literacy and support for public interest journalism and media diversity.
A previously announced crackdown on advertising spending continues, with the budget papers noting that savings here would be spent in other areas. This has dragged down the latest ad spend numbers.
On the economy, the budget forecasts say inflation has peaked and is moderating as global price shocks and supply constraints ease.
However, the global slowdown and higher interest rates are expected to slow real GDP growth to 1.5% in the 2023-24 financial year before rising to 2.25% in 2024-25. The unemployment rate is projected to remain low by historical standards, but rising to 4.25% in 2023-24.
The budget foreshadows moves which will have an impact on the media industry, including the collection of first party data, an essential element of fine targeting advertising.
“Underpinning many new technologies is the large-scale collection of data about people, systems and services by businesses,” the budget papers say.
“These datasets are a valuable input into models that maximise consumer engagement and have enabled platforms like Amazon, Netflix and Meta to appropriate a large consumer share.
“As these datasets become an increasingly important driver of innovation, they have become products in their own right, supporting services like advertising and market research.
“However, this commercialisation of data has implications for the protection of consumer rights, privacy and security, as well as regulation of competitive markets.
“The ethical implications of increasing uses of data, algorithms, and artificial intelligence to shape consumer choices and automate business interactions are also attracting greater scrutiny. Regulatory frameworks must continue to evolve in the face of technological change, as they have done in the past.
“This includes ensuring consumers benefit from the data held about them and providing for appropriate privacy and security protections. Better use can also be made of government data, with appropriate protections, as through the Data Availability and Transparency Act 2022.
“The Productivity Commission has recommended policy changes to address gaps in protections for platform workers (or gig workers), and the government is currently consulting on changes to empower the Fair Work Commission to better support employee-like arrangements.
“The government also has a role in empowering Australians to have safer and more positive online experiences, with investments in this Budget supporting the ongoing role of the eSafety Commissioner.:
The budget also includes more work to minimise harm from online gambling, with more powers to ACMA.
The government will provide funding to continue to support the National Self-exclusion Register (BetStop) and also implement a ban on the use of credit cards for online gambling, excluding for-profit and not-for-profit charitable and other lotteries.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority’s powers to be increased to enforce the ban through an amendment to the Interactive Gambling Act.
For online safety, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner will get an extra $134.1 million over four years to support Australians online, including through enhanced educational, outreach and investigatory activities.
ACMA will get $7.9 million over four years to combat online misinformation and disinformation on global digital platforms to reduce the spread of harmful content.
The government will provide $9.1 million over three years to support local news media and promote media literacy.
Funding includes:
- $5 million over two years to support the financial sustainability of the Australian Associated Press
- $2.5 million over two years to build media literacy in culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
- $1.6 million in 2023-24 to develop the News Media Assistance Program and support public interest journalism and media diversity.
The government will give additional funding to support broadcasting services in remote and First Nations communities and to initiate work to assess the state of broadcasting transmission and reception equipment in these areas.
The government will provide $86.5 million over four years to combat scams and online fraud.
Funding includes $58 million over three years the National Anti-Scam Centre within the competition watchdog the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) and to establish public-private sector Fusion Cells to target specific scam issues
Corporate watchdog ASIC will get $17.6 million over four years to identify and take down phishing websites and other websites which promote investment scams.
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