Monday, October 10, 2022

The Big Shift: Optus must be prosecuted for Privacy Act breach

 Who owns the internet? Despite people's grand hopes, companies have repeatedly found ways to sneak in and re-enclose the commons  Commons of internet »


91% of American CEOs preparing for a recession — a long one.


Ten youths have been charged in Queensland amid an investigation into a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud, which allegedly saw the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) defrauded of more than $1.8 million.

Detectives from Taskforce Uniform Knot executed multiple warrants over the last three weeks across properties spanning from Brisbane to Toowoomba.

Police allege the individuals arrested so far, aged between 18 and 22, were involved in a number of large-scale deceptions against both government agencies and financial institutions.

'Large-scale' GST fraud sees ATO allegedly scammed out of more than $1.8 million


The Australian Federal Police has seized $1 million in cash and charged a 34-year-old West Australian man with dealing in the proceeds of crime as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering.

Investigators arrested Christopher Alan Dean around 6pm on Thursday in a car park at City Beach, and seized about $1 million cash from the boot of the vehicle he was driving.

WA man arrested over money laundering after police allegedly found $1 million in boot of car


OECD 3.0 Address to the OECD Tax Administration Forum


Considered the foremost global expert on retail banking innovation, Brett King is also a three-time bestselling author and founder of the mobile banking startup “Moven.” King was voted American Banker’s “Bank Technology News Innovator of the Year.” In 2013 he was nominated by Bank Innovation as one of the “Top Ten coolest brands in banking,” the only individual to make that list. He is also on the board of the Centre for Financial Services Innovation.

Brett King Bank 4 Future of Financial Services 


Ten years ago, no one could have predicted that 90 per cent of daily transactions would be electronic, that Internet banking would provide more revenue than branches, that social media would drive your brand, and that growth in mobile banking would be the final nail in the coffin for the dominance of branch banking. Brett King explains …

Brett King, Bank 4.0, Banking everywhere but not a bank


Brett travels the globe speaking to leading brands like Google, Microsoft and Oracle, sharing his disruptive insights and the new rules of engagement for the fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and technology. For 25 years the Workplace Bullying Institute has focused on the prevention and correction of abusive conduct at work through education of targets & the public, training of professionals, creation of evidence-based solutions for organizations and unions, research by WBI and others, and advocacy for a new law… 

WBI was the first – begun in 1997 – and still is the only U.S. organization that aids bullied individuals, educates the public & professionals, conducts national scientific surveys & research, provides training for Unions and systemic solutions (the Healthy Workplace System) for organizations and employers, and advocates for legislation (the Healthy Workplace Bill). Unrivaled leadership in the field.”


Government considering if parliamentary staff should be hired using APS merit model


Optus must be prosecuted for Privacy Act breach


A young Norwegian woman, Mari Ingelin Heskestad purchased a collection of cheap jewelry from an online auction house, only to notice one object stuck out. Heskestad had an inkling the twisted gold ring was something unique. “It was really heavy, and shiny,” she told the newspaper Bergensavisen, BA. “It looked very special.”

Full article found on Art Net.



Huge fire erupts on bridge to Crimea days after US said Ukraine could retake region.

Bernard Collaery likens his prosecution by Australia to a ‘Moscow show trial’ 


NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights: “As the 2022 midterms approach, falsehoods about election fraud continue to spread via social media. The Big Lie that Joseph Biden did not legitimately win the presidency in 2020 has mutated into a forward-looking belief among many Republicans that American democracy more generally no longer functions fairly. In the minds of the most ardent believers, political opponents — Democrats — must be stopped by any means necessary, including the sort of violence unleashed at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Social media companies have promised to protect the upcoming midterm elections from mis- and disinformation, but their flawed policies and inconsistent enforcement result in the continued amplification of election denialism, especially in key battleground states, like Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The consequences of election denialism spreading online are grave. If even a handful of Republican deniers are elected this year to state offices that oversee presidential elections — such as governor and secretary of state — the 2024 process could descend into chaos and violence, making the events of 2020 – 2021 seem tame by comparison.

Our report – Spreading The Big Lie: How Social Media Sites Have Amplified False Claims of U.S. Election Fraud – diagnoses the industry’s shortcomings and makes practical recommendations for reform.


The Post Office Investigation Branch (IB) is the oldest recognised criminal investigations force in the world. For more than 335 years it has worked to detect offences against the post and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes.