The Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology has called for an extension in the way computer games are classified, to capture design architecture that exposes children to addictive, gambling-based content in many common games.

In a submission to the Department of Communications review into the classification system, the Centre for Responsible Technology argues that the spread of ‘addiction by design’ in many games means children risk being groomed to become the problem gamblers of the future.

Disinformation is the real winner in government’s light touch response to the ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry

“If the ACCC Digital Platforms Review was, as reported at the time, world’s best practice on regulating Big Tech, the government’s response shows Big Tech has secured world’s best practice in slowing down meaningful reform,” said Peter Lewis, Director of the Centre for Responsible Technology at the Australia Institute.

“Hardly anything from the ACCC has survived untouched with the Big Tech companies avoiding the big-ticket reform of limiting their power to take over competitors, with the government opting for voluntary compliance and incremental reviews over regulation.

“This is a shame as the Morrison Government had the opportunity to lead a re-think of how platforms should operate and challenge the conceit that a platform is not a publisher.

“Perhaps the creation of new section of the ACCC with oversight of the platforms will have an impact, but this model falls well short of the Prime Minister’s position that the rules that exist in the real world need to exist in the digital world,” Mr Lewis said.

The Australian public support tighter regulation of political advertising on social media platforms, from truth in advertising, limits to micro-targeting, to bans on political advertising on social media altogether.

The findings, based on public polling conducted by Essential Research in November found:

• 73 per cent support requiring social media platforms to ensure political ads are factual
• 70 per cent require social media platforms to confirm organisations advertising politically are registered locally
• 66 per cent support preventing platforms from ‘micro-targeting’
• While 60 per cent support a back on social media altogether.

The figures were released as part of a report "Distorting the Public Square" by The Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology associate fellow, Jordan Guiao.

The majority of Australians are not comfortable with the way government and companies collect and use their personal information, according to new research.

To coincide with its launch, the Australia Institute’s new Centre for Responsible Technology today released new research showing high levels of discomfort with the way personal information is collected, repurposed and stored.

The Australia Institute today launched the Centre for Responsible Technology, a new non-partisan centre designed to give people greater influence over the way technology is rapidly changing our world.