plain.txt

ctrl:cyber

Making sense of the stories shaping cybersecurity, privacy, AI, and everything in between. plain.txt unpacks what matters as we navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape – for individuals, organisations, and society alike – cutting through noise to focus on what’s actually happening, and what it means in practice. Hosted by Arjun Ramachandran and Jordan Wilson-Otto, bringing a practitioner-led perspective from their work at ctrl:cyber, an Australian cybersecurity firm helping organisations manage cyber risk across the full security lifecycle.

  1. #150 Have your say - The Children's Online Privacy Code with Dr Kate Bower

    21 APR

    #150 Have your say - The Children's Online Privacy Code with Dr Kate Bower

    This week Jordan is joined by Dr Kate Bower from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to discuss the biggest shake-up to online privacy for Australian kids in 25 years, and how you can have your say.The Children’s Online Privacy Code will set out new rules for the handling of children’s personal information by apps games and websites likely to be accessed by children or primarily concerned with the activities of children. Kate and Jordan break down what’s in the code, where it comes from, and why it looks the way it does. They also revisit what the OAIC learnt from past consultation rounds, and how you (and your kids and your community) can have your say. Public consultation on the proposed Children’s Online Privacy Code is open until 5 June. Kate and the team are genuinely keen to hear from industry, but also from parents, carers and children. The OAIC has put together a range of engagement resources like child friendly explainers, worksheets, lesson plans and more to make it easier for kids and parents to participate, which you can access at Privacy for Kids | OAIC. Dr Kate Bower is the Director of the Privacy Reform Implementation and Social Media (PRISM) Taskforce at the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Links: The OAIC’s Children’s Online Privacy Code information hub https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-for-kids Kate’s blog post on the code and the OAIC’s approach https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/blog/sunshine-and-double-rainbows-building-a-better-online-environment-for-children-and-young-people Credits: Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East CoastStudio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au

    40 min
  2. #149 AI in the kill chain: Breaking down Anthropic v Pentagon

    7 APR

    #149 AI in the kill chain: Breaking down Anthropic v Pentagon

    This week we unpack the dispute between Anthropic and the US Department of Defense and it what it says about AI governance more broadly. What began as a contractual disagreement rapidly turned into a political and legal stoush that culminated in the designation of Anthropic as a US national supply‑chainrisk. We break down the areas of concern - fully autonomous lethal weapons and mass domestic surveillance - and debate whether private tech companies should be allowed to constrain how governments use technologies like AI   Links: Article about Pentagon designating Anthropic a supply‑chain risk (Yahoo) https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pentagon-designates-anthropic-supply-chain-114515625.html Anthropic statement https://www.anthropic.com/news/statement-comments-secretary-war Oped on the Pentagon–Anthropic brawl (ASPI) https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/pentagon-anthropic-brawl-demands-rethink-of-ai-industry/ Oped on the Pentagon–Anthropic brawl (Tech Policy Press) https://www.techpolicy.press/how-to-think-about-the-anthropic-pentagon-dispute/ Article on the dispute (The Atlantic) https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/03/inside-anthropics-killer-robot-dispute-with-the-pent… Analysis by former Trump AI advisor https://www.hyperdimensional.co/p/clawed   Credits: Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.au

    33 min
  3. #148 OAIC v Bunnings - Green light for a facial recognition free for all?

    19 FEB

    #148 OAIC v Bunnings - Green light for a facial recognition free for all?

    In this episode we explore the implications of an Administrative Review Tribunal ruling that Australian retailer Bunnings was reasonably entitled to use facial recognition technology (FRT) to combat crime and staff abuse in its stores. The ruling comes after a protracted dispute, with Bunnings appealing a 2024 determination by Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind that it had breached privacy laws in using FRT to scan customers' faces without their consent. We break down the legal intricacies and justifications for the decision, and explore the impact it might have on FRT adoption more widely.Links:Article about the Administrative Review Tribunal ruling (ABC) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-05/bunnings-wins-ai-facial-recognition-tech-fight/106309308ART ruling https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/ARTA/2026/130.htmlOAIC statement https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/oaic-statement-on-administrative-review-tribunals-bunning…Bunnings statement https://media.bunnings.com.au/api/public/content/51f48a5bef0748109f7b52607bdfbd06?v=9b52aa2c&_gl=1*…Analysis of ruling (The Conversation) https://theconversation.com/bunnings-decision-may-open-door-to-facial-recognition-surveillance-free…Analysis of ruling (The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/05/bunnings-given-green-light-to-use-facial-rec… Credits:Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.auMusic by Bensound.com

    31 min
  4. #147 2026 preview - Looking back to look ahead

    9 FEB

    #147 2026 preview - Looking back to look ahead

    In our first episode for the year we revisit the big themes of 2025, and explore how they're shaping in 2026. We discuss changing sentiments around AI, its impact on the online information ecosystem, the social media ban and ongoing focus on children's privacy, and how cyber threats are evolving in the AI age. Links:TWIDT #146 Australia's grand plan for AI https://podcasts.apple.com/cm/podcast/146-australias-grand-plan-for-ai/id1616386683?i=1000743906862Australia's National AI plan https://www.industry.gov.au/news/australia-launches-national-ai-plan-capture-opportunities-share-be…Article about sentiments about an AI bubble (AFR) https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/microsoft-s-shock-plunge-isn-t-end-of-ai-bubble-but-it-s-a-warning-…TWIDT #134 AI slop is taking over the internet https://podcasts.apple.com/cm/podcast/134-ai-slop-is-taking-over-the-internet/id1616386683?i=100071…Article about start of social media ban (ABC) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-15/social-media-ban-data-millions-of-accounts-closed/106232768Article about almost autonomous AI-enabled cyber attacks in 2025 (The Conversation) https://theconversation.com/an-ai-lab-says-chinese-backed-bots-are-running-cyber-espionage-attacks-…   Credits:Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.auMusic by Bensound.com

    29 min
  5. #146 Australia's grand plan for AI

    22/12/2025

    #146 Australia's grand plan for AI

    In this episode we break down the National AI Plan released by the Government in December.The plan broadly sets out how Australia will capture the opportunities of AI, how the benefits will be spread across the economy and how it guide the safe and responsible adoption of AI.We debate whether the plan strikes the right tone, pursues the right opportunities and whether it does enough to manage the risks of AI.   Links:Australia's National AI plan https://www.industry.gov.au/news/australia-launches-national-ai-plan-capture-opportunities-share-be…Article about the plan (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-02/national-artificial-intelligence-plan-growth-existing-laws/1…Analysis of the plan (Crikey) https://theconversation.com/australias-national-ai-plan-has-just-been-released-who-exactly-will-ben…Article about environmental impact of data centres (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-27/ai-to-take-up-one-quarter-of-sydney-water-in-a-decade/105700…Article about energy use of data centres (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/03/datacentres-demand-huge-amounts-of-electrici…Article about MIT study on successful AI pilots (Forbes) https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonsnyder/2025/08/26/mit-finds-95-of-genai-pilots-fail-because-compa… Credits:Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.auMusic by Bensound.com

    31 min
  6. #145 Intimacy on display - why your chatbot conversations aren't so private

    01/12/2025

    #145 Intimacy on display - why your chatbot conversations aren't so private

    AI chatbots are becoming increasingly intimate spaces, with people using them for companionship, therapy and as a helpful personal assistant.While our interactions with chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot get more personal, we're also seeing logs and transcripts of these interactions increasingly find their way to the public - via FOI requests, court orders and security and privacy breaches.We explore the convergence of these opposing trends.   Links:Article about national security chief using Copilot (Crikey - PAYWALL) https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/11/12/australia-national-security-chief-ai-speech-writing/Article about UK tech minister using ChatGPT for policy advice (New Scientist) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2472068-revealed-how-the-uk-tech-secretary-uses-chatgpt-for-po…Article about California court order ChatGPT logs discoverable (AI Buzz) https://www.ai-buzz.com/court-rules-chatgpt-history-is-discoverable-evidence-in-lawsuitsArticle about Grok chats exposed in Google search results (BBC) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrkmk00jy0oArticle about Meta leaking chatbot prompts (Toms Guide) https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/online-security/meta-ai-was-leaking-chatbot-prompts-and-answers…OpenAI v New York Times https://openai.com/index/fighting-nyt-user-privacy-invasion/NSW Government advisory on AI and recordkeeping https://www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/recordkeeping/create-and-capture/ai-and-recordkeeping   Credits:Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.auMusic by Bensound.com

    26 min
  7. #144 The era of enforcement begins - breaking down privacy's first ever civil penalty

    17/11/2025

    #144 The era of enforcement begins - breaking down privacy's first ever civil penalty

    This week we analyse the implications of the first ever civil penalties ordered under the Privacy Act. In October, the Federal Court ordered that Australian Clinical Labs pay $5.8 million in civil penalties in relation to a data breach by its Medlab Pathology business in February 2022 that led tothe exposure of the personal information of over 223,000 people. We discuss the key insights for cyber, privacy and risk practitioners emerging from the judgement.   Links: OAIC statement https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/australian-clinical-labs-ordered-to-pay-penalties-in-relation-to-medlab-pathology-data-breach-in-first-for-privacy-act Federal Court judgement https://www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Judgments/fca/single/2025/2025fca1224 OAIC guidance on APP 11 "reasonable steps" (OAIC) https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles/australian-privacy-principles-guidelines/chapter-11-app-11-security-of-personal-information Credits: Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) ⁠www.eastcoaststudio.com.au⁠ Music by Bensound.com

    30 min
  8. #143 A debate about facial recognition

    03/11/2025

    #143 A debate about facial recognition

    This week Arj is joined by elevenM colleague Brett Watson to breakdown the issues surrounding the rollout of facial recognition technology (FRT) across retail settings, stadiums and other venues in Australia. The Privacy Commissioner recently ruled that the use of FRT by Australian retailers Bunnings and Kmart breached Australians' privacy. Bunnings is appealing the ruling, while Kmart is also considering an appeal - both arguing that their use of FRT is a proportionate response to issues like violence and theft in their stores. With that as the backdrop, Arj and Brett debate the merits of privacy advocates' arguments against FRT.   Links:OAIC ruling against Bunnings https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/bunnings-breached-australians-privacy-with-facial-recogni…OAIC ruling against Kmart https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/18-kmarts-use-of-facial-recognition-to-tackle-refund-frau…Article about OAIC ruling against Kmart (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-18/kmart-facial-recognition-technology-privacy-commissioner/105…Article about Bunnings arguments in favour of FRT (AFR - paywall) https://www.afr.com/technology/bunnings-boss-wants-new-laws-to-allow-facial-recognition-in-stores-2…Article about Wesfarmers citing rise in retail theft (Skynews) https://www.skynews.com.au/business/finance/wesfarmers-boss-rob-scott-laments-uptick-in-retail-thef…NZ Privacy Commissioner inquiry into Foodstuffs use of FRT https://www.privacy.org.nz/focus-areas/frt-inquiry-report/Article about woman misidentified by Foodstuffs FRT (RNZ) https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/535871/woman-wrongly-kicked-out-over-foodstuffs-facial-recognit…   Credits:Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) www.eastcoaststudio.com.auMusic by Bensound.com

    36 min
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4.6
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Making sense of the stories shaping cybersecurity, privacy, AI, and everything in between. plain.txt unpacks what matters as we navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape – for individuals, organisations, and society alike – cutting through noise to focus on what’s actually happening, and what it means in practice. Hosted by Arjun Ramachandran and Jordan Wilson-Otto, bringing a practitioner-led perspective from their work at ctrl:cyber, an Australian cybersecurity firm helping organisations manage cyber risk across the full security lifecycle.

Information

  • Creator
    ctrl:cyber
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    152
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © ctrl:cyber
  • Show Website
    plain.txt