Hello, hope you’re well. Here’s the tech news to catch up on this morning.
1. Privacy Act amendments
The Australian government has introduced legislation to significantly increase penalties for repeated or serious privacy breaches. If passed, the changes to the Privacy Act, via the Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Bill 2022, would see fines for “repeated or serious” data breaches rise from $2.2 million to “up to” $50 million or 30 per cent of “adjusted” turnover. But as the ABC is reporting, privacy critics reckon more is needed to deter incidents like those at Optus and Medibank.
We’ve introduced strong new laws that will make sure companies keep your data safe – or face tough consequences. https://t.co/WVbqvxCN9I
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 26, 2022
2. 3.9 million Medibank customers impacted
While we’re on Medibank, it was confirmed yesterday that every one of the private health insurer’s customers had their data breached. Alarming, considering Medibank has 3.9 million customers. Medibank said its cybercrime investigation had now established that the criminal had access to: All ahm customers’ personal data and significant amounts of health claims data, all international student customers’ personal data and significant amounts of health claims data and all Medibank customers’ personal data and significant amounts of health claims data.
3. Apple isn’t happy about USB-C
The iPhone 15 is rumoured to feature USB-C charging after a landmark move from the European Union. The Wall Street Journal, in the YouTube clip below, chatted with Apple senior VP of marketing Greg Joswiak who acknowledged that Apple has “no choice” but to follow the new regulations, forcing it to make a USB-C iPhone.
4. Elon Musk lands at Twitter with a very bad pun
According to The Verge (and the man himself), Elon is in the building. The publication is reporting that Twitter CMO Leslie Berland sent employees an internal memo saying that their soon-to-be new boss, Elon Musk, is in the company’s San Francisco headquarters this week and that they will “hear from him directly on Friday.” Minutes later, Musk himself tweeted a video of him entering the building carrying a literal kitchen sink. He also changed his Twitter bio to “Chief Twit.” Yikes.
Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in! pic.twitter.com/D68z4K2wq7
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2022
5. Dubbo to get 100s of 3D-printed houses and cabins
The ABC is reporting that Dubbo could soon be Australia’s 3D printed capital, with plans underway for a block of 3D-printed houses, public toilets and a holiday park with 100 cabins. Per the report, plans for the holiday park feature 100 honeycomb-shaped cabins to be built using five giant 3D printers, and would take up 12 hectares just across from the Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
BONUS ITEM: Shoes for horses!!! I repeat, shoes for horses!
Enjoy your Thursday.