Wednesday, 9 September - When you say nothing at all

September 09, 2026

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, 9 September. In your Squiz Today…

  • The Albanese Government’s plans to fix your social media feeds

  • King Charles lays down the law with Prince Harry

  • And why Gen Z is ditching answering the phone with ‘hello’…☎️

🎧 Listen to the podcast

🤓 This email will take you 6 minutes to read

🙋🏻‍♀️ This newsletter was written by Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington, Andrew Williams and Sophie Felice

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“He completely annihilated him”.

Said an unnamed source about PM Anthony Albanese’s tennis win over mortgage broker Joseph Daoud, who won an auction for the privilege. The PM reportedly didn’t lose a single game, which means the broker had his serve broken over and over again…

My feed my way

The Squiz

That’s what the Federal government is calling its plan to give Aussies over 16yo the ability to decide the type of content they see in their social media feeds. We flagged that this was coming at the start of the week, and yesterday, the first draft of the Digital Duty of Care laws was released by PM Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells. She said Australia’s under-16 social media ban kicked off a “global reckoning” for big tech - and these laws are the next step.

I’ve stopped scrolling, tell me more…

Basically, social media companies like Meta, X and TikTok will be required to send Aussie users a push notification giving them the choice to opt out of their algorithms. To remind you, they’re the formulas which determine the content served to people on their feeds. That might be similar to posts/videos they’ve engaged with, but it isn’t necessarily from accounts or friends they follow - and research has shown some of it is pushing misogynistic and extreme content at young men. The details are still being worked out, but if Aussie users were to opt out, their feeds would revert to only posts from friends and people they choose to follow. The PM says the onus would be on big tech companies to comply - if they don’t, they'd cop fines of up to $109.2 million. 

What else is in the bill?

The draft laws also extend to online games, apps and AI chatbots with the aim of shielding under-18yos from harmful content. That includes material promoting eating disorders, hostile ideas about women and gender equality, and anything glorifying crime or life-endangering stunts. As for how it landed, consent advocate Chanel Contos - who called for an opt-in version of this law last week - said it was “a great first step” and sends the message to big tech that “you cannot introduce harmful features into our digital lives without asking for our consent first”. But the Coalition reckons it’s a threat to free speech and gives too much discretion to Minister Wells to decide what is harmful. The PM rejected that, saying it’s “not about giving government control. It’s about giving people control”. The bill is out for consultation before it gets introduced to parliament later in the year.
*If you want to know more about how the algorithm works in terms of social media, we’ve got a timely Squiz Shortcut for you…

Taking the first step

Financial abuse is more common than many people realise, with research showing one in 4 Australians are affected, but there is support available. Through its Next Chapter program, CommBank helps people learn more about financial abuse, understanding the signs, and where to reach out for information or for support. It works with specialist organisations to offer that support and help people move toward long-term financial independence. Find out more here, or call 1800 222 387 Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm (AEST).

Squiz the Rest

A murder trial is underway…

…into 3 men accused of killing 2 Aussie brothers and their American friend in Mexico in April 2024. 33yo Callum and 30yo Jake Robinson were on a surfing holiday when they were reported missing, and search teams found their bodies dumped in a well days later. Their parents Martin and Debra Robinson have travelled from Perth to Ensenada, on Mexico's Pacific Coast, for the trial - where they’ve come face to face with their sons' alleged murderers in court. Prosecutors allege the men were killed during a robbery that went wrong, but the defence is arguing they don’t have the evidence to prove their theory. Dozens of witnesses are expected to give evidence in the trial, which reports say should run for at least the next 4 weeks.

Aussie test scores lean sideways

We’ve had anything but a towering result in the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exams, with Oz notching up its lowest-ever score in reading and maths. The PISA exams test the reading, maths and science knowledge of 760,000 15yos around the world every 3 years - and while our science results held steady, the 2025 test showed that our 15yos today are reading and doing their sums at the same level a 13yo was back in 2000. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says reviewing our maths curriculum and restricting screen time in schools will be on the agenda when he meets with state/territory education ministers next month - just to continue the screen theme, he says our schools need a “digital detox”. Same, tbh…

Not so grape expectations

France has just sweated through its hottest-ever summer, with heatwaves and wildfires making life pas bon (not good) for vineyards. The French government’s agriculture body says the extreme weather means the country is set to produce one of its lowest amounts of wine in decades, with champagne likely to be down by half after severe heat and drought damaged vines and grapes. France is the world’s second-largest wine producer (after Italy), but scientists say Europe is experiencing the fastest climate change-driven warming of any continent, and its wine industry woes don’t stop there. US President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, cost of living pressures, the popularity of beer and people drinking less are all playing a role. Sacré bleu.

They won’t work work work work work

OK, they might not be the exact words King Charles used to set the record straight on what role his son Prince Harry will have now he and his family have moved back to the UK... But Buckingham Palace has released a letter setting out some ground rules. The Sussexes will not be working royals, meaning they won’t perform duties on behalf of the monarchy, and they still won’t be able to use the titles of "His and Her Royal Highness". Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have responded, saying they’re surprised they weren’t given a heads-up, but this public note doesn’t stop them from working with their own charities and pursuing their own commercial interests. And now that’s cleared up, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are set to start at a new British school this week, as their cousin Prince George starts at Eton College.

You say it best…

It’s been 150 years since the phone was invented, but answering calls with “hello” might be heading the same way as the landline. There’s a trend that’s begun with Gen Z of ditching a formal greeting and getting straight to the point, or, in some cases, saying nothing at all. That might seem a bit rude, but they say it’s a protective measure to outsmart scammers who can replicate voices using AI from a simple “hello” and then use them to ask for money from your loved ones. There’s even research backing it in: a UK survey found that 40% of 18-24yos reckon it’s acceptable to skip a phone greeting altogether. And reports say it works in that your voice can’t be cloned - but taking another leaf out of Gen Z’s playbook, if you don’t know the number, not answering at all is still the best strategy to avoid scammers.

Apropos of Nothing

Another day, another art heist - thieves have stolen 4 paintings from the Renoir Museum in France, worth $14.5 million. Unfortunately for them, they dropped 2 of the paintings on the way out while being chased by police. They need more training in the art of the steal… 

The suburb of Richmond in London has received an influx of Ted Lasso fans, who are visiting sites like the official merch store of (fictional club) AFC Richmond, the Prince’s Head pub, and the Richmond Bridge.  

And check out the trailer for Artificial, an upcoming movie about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the time he was sacked from the company and rehired 5 days later. Andrew Garfield plays Altman, and after his work in 2010 classic The Social Network, he certainly has form when it comes to movies about big tech. 

Squiz the Day

9.30am (AEST) - National MND conference begins with welcome events (until 11 September) - Adelaide 

12.30pm (AEST) - Kevin Gallagher, CEO and Managing Director of Santos, will address the National Press Club on 'Australia’s energy opportunity in an uncertain world’ - Canberra, watch on ABC iview 

6.30pm (AEST) - Former PM Kevin Rudd to speak at the Australian Institute of International Affairs - Canberra 

Norway's King Harald’s funeral - Oslo 

ABS data release: industrial disputes, June 2026 

World EV Day

North Korea’s National Day

Birthdays for actor Hugh Grant (1960), actor and comedian Adam Sandler (1966), singer Michael Bublé (1975), and actor Michelle Williams (1980)

Anniversary of: 

  • 9-month-old Mary Stuart being crowned Queen of Scots (1543)

  • Congress officially renaming the United Colonies the United States of America (1776)

  • the birthdays of explorer William Bligh (1754), author Leo Tolstoy (1828), KFC founder Colonel Sanders (1890) and musician Otis Redding (1941)

  • the death of Mao Zedong (1976)

  • Queen Elizabeth II becoming our longest-reigning monarch at 63 years and 7 months, beating the previous record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria (2015)

  • the African Union being made a permanent member of the G20 (2023)

  • the release of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide final report (2024)

  • the announcement of the iPhone 16 (2024)

Thursday

3.00am (AEST) - Apple 'Surprise and Shine' showcase, set to launch newest iPhone and Apple's first foldable iPhone 

4.45am (AEST) - Basketball: Women's FIBA World Cup Australia v Italy - Berlin, watch on Kayo

Housekeeping

Reckon you read the email each day?

Want the chance to win a $100 gift voucher for Rebel Sport? Hit the button below each day this week, and we’ll know you’ve read the email. That gives you a chance to go in the draw. And repeat…

Button not showing for you? Click here instead. Legend.