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Max Walden

@maxwalden.bsky.social
1.1K followers 235 following 905 posts

Deputy digital editor, ABC Melbourne. PhD from Melbourne Law School. Bad opinions are my own

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Reposted by Max Walden
The Verge @theverge.com · 23h
Mass adoption of generative AI tools is rewriting the old adage that has long been a thorn in the side of restaurant and retail workers: “The customer is always right.” But what happens when the customer expects you to play along with something AI made up? www.theverge.com/report/10029...
QUOTE: They just want to talk to ChatGPT. You’re allergic to shellfish, and ChatGPT says there’s no shellfish in this, and we are telling you, yes there is!
—  Madison, a server in New York City
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Reposted by Max Walden
Erin Cook @erincook.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
If you've missed World Cup content, look up #timnas on Instagram
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Reposted by Max Walden
Nikkei Asia (Official) @asia.nikkei.com · 06/10/2026
OpenAI steps up safety, promises earlier disclosure after Australian hack asia.nikkei.com/business/technology…
asia.nikkei.com
OpenAI steps up safety, promises earlier disclosure after Australian hack
Company's chief strategy officer tells lawmakers response was 'not good enough'
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Reposted by Max Walden
The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 06/10/2026
Japan and Australia will share information on investment trends and discuss supply chains, including those in the defense industry, according to a memorandum of understanding signed Monday in Tokyo.
ebx.sh
Finance chiefs of Japan and Australia establish dialogue for economic security
The two nations will share information on investment trends and discuss supply chains, including those in the defense industry.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
News Corp racked up its 12th year in a row of paying precisely zero tax in Australia, despite posting revenues of well over $1 billion, new ATO data last week revealed www.theage.com.au/business/com...
theage.com.au
The good, the bad and the grumpy: Will Joe Aston’s Rampart go soft on its corporate backers?
In this week’s On Background, Joe Aston’s media start-up has got everyone talking, the ABC seems bored with long news bulletins and ATO’s latest data once again reveals a sorry tale.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Victorian government criticised for not acting sooner to combat illicit tobacco trade www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10...
abc.net.au
Illegal tobacco crackdown in Victoria has come too late, says ex-policeman
Premier Ben Carroll has conceded the Victorian government should have acted sooner on illegal tobacco but insisted progress had been made since the new enforcement powers came into effect.
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Reposted by Max Walden
The Economist @economist.com · 05/10/2026
India’s Election Commission will potentially axe more than 130m names from its voter lists—tens of millions of which will be real voters. Many political analysts are calling it the country’s biggest electoral scandal in decades
bit.ly
Allegations of bias are rocking India’s electoral watchdog
It is barring tens of millions from voting
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
“The biggest scandals of the White House in modern times—Watergate, Iran-Contra, Mr Trump’s attempt to extort a Ukrainian investigation of the Bidens—were not revealed by White House reporters.”
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casey briggs @caseybriggs.com · 02/10/2026
We've today launched our guide to November's Victorian state election, with guides to all 88 lower house electorates and candidates and preview material. This will continue to be updated as the election approaches. Will share some links in this thread:
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Today we have Victorian election analysis by @caseybriggs.com: One Nation may end up with the balance of power after Victoria's election www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10...
abc.net.au
Victoria is about to have the most unpredictable election in living memory
Much has been written about the rise of Pauline Hanson's One Nation in the past 12 months. The Victorian election will give us our best look yet at the decline of the two-party system.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Hundreds of apartments and additional commercial space would be built under new redevelopment plans for Preston Market in Melbourne's northern suburbs, while retaining most of the original market's footprint. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10...
abc.net.au
Beloved Melbourne market to have 900 apartments under redevelopment plan
Residential towers ranging in height from eight to 16 storeys would surround the market and include 10 per cent affordable housing under plans to redevelop the site.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Major news outlets have declined to say whether they will stand in solidarity with the ABC, Guardian Australia and The Age which are banned from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation press events mumbrella.com.au/one-nations-...
mumbrella.com.au
One Nation’s press bans put Australian media's solidarity to the test
Australia’s major news outlets have declined to say whether they will stand in solidarity with news organisations banned from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation press events, in stark contrast to major US ne...
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The tide may be starting to turn in Victoria's crime crisis, but an election looms www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Victoria's crime crisis is turning, but a looming election means everything
Fresh data shows crime levels may be beginning to plateau, but as the state election looms, the political crisis fuelled by the community's perception of safety shows little sign of easing.
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Reposted by Max Walden
TechCrunch @techcrunch.com · 24/09/2026
Australia to investigate if OpenAI hack of government health website broke the law
techcrunch.com
Australia to investigate if OpenAI hack of government health website broke the law
The incident is the first known breach to affect a government agency, and Australia's prime minister has vowed to hold OpenAI accountable.
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ABC News Australia @news.abc.net.au · 24/09/2026
Victoria's crime rate falls, led by home invasions, carjackings and robberies
abc.net.au
Crime falls in Victoria but still 'unacceptably high' say police
Home invasions, carjackings and robberies all fell in the 12 months to the end of June, but police say their work is 'far from over.'
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A swarm of OpenAI's rogue artificial intelligence agents appear to have worked together to try to circumvent cybersecurity defences and find ways to access Australian government health data, according to public traces of their conversation logs they posted online. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
How OpenAI agents tried to thwart cybersecurity amid Medicare hack
OpenAI's rogue artificial intelligence agents appear to have worked together to try to circumvent cybersecurity defences and find ways to access Australian government health data, according to convers...
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Reposted by Max Walden
ABC News Australia @news.abc.net.au · 23/09/2026
Angry Anderson, Australian rock legend and Rose Tattoo frontman, dies aged 79
abc.net.au
Australian rock legend Angry Anderson dies, aged 79
The ARIA Hall of Fame inductee spent 50 years in the music industry and also became a television presenter and youth advocate.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Victoria's royal commission into corruption on government building projects has already held some hearings in secret, its head has revealed. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Construction royal commission has already held secret hearings
The royal commissioner investigating corruption in Victoria's construction sector has issued a warning to "all people who have done wrong" in the first public hearing.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Donald Trump has launched a “Trump TV” propaganda station after the major US television networks collectively refused to cover the president’s daily press events in solidarity with CNN, which he banned over his dislike of its coverage. www.theage.com.au/world/north-...
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Three select-entry high schools would be built in Melbourne's rapidly expanding outer suburbs by 2030 under a Victorian Coalition government if elected in November. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Victorian Coalition pledges more select-entry high schools if elected
Victoria currently has four fully selective secondary schools but Opposition Leader Jess Wilson says there is growing demand for more academic achiever colleges.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Victoria Police intelligence briefs obtained by the ABC show police are concerned the ban on owning machetes, introduced a year ago, has fuelled a growing trend among underage offenders of stashing “communal weapons” in public places www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Knives stashed in public places across Melbourne, police believe
Intelligence briefs obtained by the ABC show police are concerned by a rise in "communal weapons storage" at major public transport precincts across Melbourne.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
University leaders and students have expressed concern over the federal government's plan to bar most international students from bringing their families to Australia under sweeping migration changes unveiled today www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
International education sector alarmed by Labor move to bar families
Higher education stakeholders say sweeping migration changes will jeopardise an export industry worth $55 billion, with international students likely to choose other destinations.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Bonkers story from ABC News Verify - a YouTube commentator from Brazil is using AI to fake an Australian accent and promote One Nation to tens of thousands of people www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Foreign YouTuber fakes Australian accent with AI to promote One Nation
An ABC NEWS Verify investigation reveals exactly how a YouTube political commentator from overseas is using AI to pretend to be Australian and promote One Nation to thousands of people.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll will give police sweeping powers to stop and search anyone in public if Labor is re-elected, borrowing another policy from the opposition that the Labor government had previously resisted. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Plans to expand police search powers to combat knife crime in Victoria
Victorian Labor has promised to expand police search powers to combat knife crime in the state, despite warnings it will not reduce violent offending.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
OzAsia Festival to end after 20 years, in huge blow for Asian‑Australian art and culture www.abc.net.au/asia/ozasia-...
abc.net.au
Why this axed Asia culture festival still matters - ABC Asia
The OzAsia Festival has been axed after showcasing Asian and Asian-Australian culture for 20 years. So what happens next?
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Girl found dead next to boyfriend squatting in house was under child protection www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Ballarat girl in child protection system found dead in squat house
A 17-year-old girl and her 26-year-old boyfriend were found dead squatting inside a Ballarat house that had no running water or power.
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Reposted by Max Walden
Lisa Cox @lisacox.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
First H5 bird flu death of endangered Australian sea lion recorded amid fears for small population
theguardian.com
First H5 bird flu death of endangered Australian sea lion recorded amid fears for small population
South Australian authorities say case discovered on Kangaroo Island is first for species of which less than 12,000 animals remain
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Victorian Labor won't have a smooth ride to fourth-term government this election www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
No smooth ride for Labor to a fourth term in Victoria
One Nation leader Warren Pickering's story of redemption took Victorian politics into new territory this week.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
A specialist police officer involved in the hunt for Dezi Freeman who was sacked for crashing a police car while drunk-driving on duty has been handed back his job. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Officer in Dezi Freeman search given job back after on-duty drink driving
After rear-ending a vehicle in September last year, the officer blew a 0.07 breath test and told Victoria's police disciplinary board that he drank two "very strong" bourbon and cokes about three hour...
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Reposted by Max Walden
POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 09/09/2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said “remigration” plans put forward by Alternative for Germany (AfD) amount to ethnic cleansing and would devastate the German economy, in his sharpest attack yet on the surging far-right party.
politico.eu
AfD ‘remigration’ plans amount to ‘ethnic cleansing,’ says Merz
His comments come days after a landslide victory for the AfD in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
A Melbourne council has become the second local government in Australia to ban glasses with in-built cameras from its leisure centres, playgrounds and childcare centres www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Smart glasses banned from Melbourne council's pools, gyms and playgrounds
The City of Yarra has banned glasses with built-in cameras from its leisure centres, playgrounds and childcare centres to protect the community.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Victims of Victoria's most serious youth crimes will soon be able to apply to be notified when offenders are due to leave prison, bringing the state in line with the rest of Australia. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Victims of serious youth crimes to be told when offenders leave prison
Victims of the most serious youth crimes could be notified when offenders leave prison under significant changes to Victoria's youth justice system due at the end of the month.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A program connecting vulnerable people with outreach workers at train stations is being credited with reducing antisocial behaviour in Melbourne's outer south-east. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
The outreach program building trust in a bid to reduce crime
A program connecting vulnerable people with outreach workers at train stations is being credited with reducing antisocial behaviour in suburban Melbourne.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Fire Rescue Victoria data reveals response times not keeping up with rapidly growing Melbourne www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Lagging fire response in outer Melbourne poses 'risk to community safety'
Residents in growth areas of Melbourne are experiencing worsening responses to fire emergencies, an ABC analysis of Fire Rescue Victoria data has found.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Nearly 2,000 people have fallen ill in suspected food poisoning outbreaks linked to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto 's flagship Free Nutritious Meals program this week www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
2,000 cases of suspected food poisoning from Indonesia's free school meals
The outbreaks are the latest setback for the program, which has been rolled out across the archipelago despite repeated food poisoning incidents and corruption allegations.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Underworld-linked mediator Mick Gatto likely in construction sector royal commission's sights www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Construction sector probe likely to put Mick Gatto back in the spotlight
Mick Gatto is a powerful figure in a sector soon to be probed by a Victorian royal commission — but he says he's not worried.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Gippsland councillor and One Nation candidate Ben Lucas pleads guilty to health code violations www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
One Nation candidate pleads guilty in court to health code violation
A candidate for One Nation at the upcoming Victorian election has pleaded guilty to health code breaches in court.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Israel's far-right national security minister has quietly deleted two videos from his social media pages, which critics said promoted the starvation and poor treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Sanctioned Israeli minister deletes AI video mocking Palestinian prisoners
Israel's far-right national security minister deletes two videos that were criticised for promoting the poor treatment of Palestinian prisoners.
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Reposted by Max Walden
Erin Cook @erincook.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
A lot of horrible videos of children writhing around that I won't share, but this of the ambulances shows the scale
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ABC News Australia @news.abc.net.au · 01/09/2026
Warning signs visible days before glacier collapse in Nepal, report finds
abc.net.au
Warning signs visible days before glacier collapse in Nepal, report finds
A rapid hazard assessment of the Nepal-Tibet disaster says there were "pre-event indications" of the avalanche, including satellite imagery showing a change in the surface of the collapsed glacier.  
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
NSW Premier Chris Minns tells Indian community 'we've got your back' on first official visit www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
abc.net.au
Minns tells Indian community 'we've got your back' on first official visit
On the first day of NSW Premier Chris Minns's official visit to India, he met young people who had grown up in poverty in Delhi.
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Reposted by Max Walden
Louise Milligan @milliganreports.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
BREAKING: AHPRA investigation into gynaecologist Simon Gordon sees Medical Board finally referring him to VCAT. This after our #4Corners investigation revealed Gordon repeatedly operated for supposed “severe” #endometriosis when patients’ pathology results showed none. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
abc.net.au
Gynaecologist Simon Gordon referred to tribunal over alleged misconduct
The Medical Board of Australia has referred the former Melbourne gynaecologist accused of performing unnecessary and life-altering surgeries on his patients to Victoria's civil tribunal alleging he en...
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Newspoll shows support for One Nation has risen to 30 per cent ahead of Labor on 29 per cent and the ­Coalition on 19 per cent. www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/polit...
theaustralian.com.au
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Nepal flood survivors take shelter at monastery turned makeshift evacuation centre www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
abc.net.au
Nepal monastery becomes evacuation centre for survivors
The Gosok Phuntsok Choeling monastery is now a makeshift evacuation centre for those who have survived the Nepal flood disaster.
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Reposted by Max Walden
AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 29/08/2026
Rescuers in Nepal and China are still battling to locate thousands of people missing days after a deadly, tsunami-like wall of water and debris swept through the Himalayan region. The number of missing has soared close to 3,000, latest figures from both countries show u.afp.com/SVWF
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
An inner-Melbourne council has voted to scrap a trial of shared e-bikes and e-scooters, marking the end of shared e-scooters north of the Yarra River. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
abc.net.au
Melbourne council ditches e-bike and e-scooter trial amid complaints
Another Melbourne council ends its "micromobility" trial of shared e-bikes and e-scooters after 93 per cent of feedback was negative.
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Go well, Cathy. You'll be missed
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The Cathy Wilcox @cathywilcox.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
A valediction. My @smh @theage cartoon.
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CAMERON WILSON @cameronwilson.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
NEW: AI music is going to be banned from Australia's top music charts unless it can prove that it was "substantially human-made" This comes weeks after a song with AI vocals became Australia's most played song www.abc.net.au/news/...
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Max Walden @maxwalden.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
A woman has been stabbed multiple times and her 10-year-old son has been punched in a random attack outside the Victoria Police headquarters in Melbourne. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
abc.net.au
'Horrified' police say Melbourne attack on mother and child was random
The incident unfolded outside the Victoria Police headquarters at lunchtime. Passers-by pulled the man from the woman as the attack continued.
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