🗞️ They can hear you

Good morning. One of Facebook’s alleged marketing partners, Cox Media Group (CMG), has been using sophisticated technology to listen to users’ smartphone microphones and advertise to them based on their conversations.

Facebook continually denies listening to users but like your short mate’s height on his dating profile, the reality appears very different.

Given CMG claimed that major tech companies Google and Amazon were also clients, this might not be the last we hear of this story.

All the headlines and more below...

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Covid-19 accelerated the use of cards over cash

• Only 13% of Australians using cash, dropping from 27% in the past 5 years. LINK

• Australia's economy grew by just 0.2% in the June quarter, marking the weakest annual growth rate since 1991-92. LINK

• Australian household spending rose by 0.8% in July, driven by increased spending on necessities like healthcare and vehicle repairs, although overall spending has remained flat over the past 3 months. LINK

• Mid-tier law firms in Australia are experiencing growth in partner numbers, while top-tier firms are focusing on consolidation and cultural fit in lateral hires. LINK

• Australian CEOs are less focused on climate change compared to their global counterparts, as they prioritise navigating immediate economic challenges. LINK

• Hybrid vehicles are becoming increasingly popular among Australian car buyers, with the Toyota RAV4 hybrid being the top-selling vehicle in August. LINK

• Commercial landlords are struggling to refinance $2.2T of debt due by the end of 2025 as property values decline. LINK

• Firewood suppliers in WA reported the lowest demand in recent history due to the rise of unregulated "black market" firewood sales online. LINK

• Nearly 34,000 hectares of koala habitat have been approved for clearing by the federal government since 2012, with mining projects responsible for most. LINK

GLOBAL NEWS

Will a Bali subway fix its tourist traffic issue?

• Bali has secured $29B in investment for a new underground rail project linking the airport with tourist districts, to be complete by 2027. LINK

• Workers in London and Sydney are slower to return to the office compared to other global cities, at less than 3 days a week on-site. LINK

• Olympic organisers thwarted 68 cyberattacks during the first few days of the Games. LINK

• The war in Sudan has become the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with millions at risk of death and a potential famine that could surpass Ethiopia’s in the 1980s. LINK

• Spain is cracking down on short-term holiday rentals in popular destinations like Barcelona and the Canary Islands. LINK

COMPANY NEWS

NextDC opens its 17th data centre in Australia

• NextDC has opened a $100M data centre in Adelaide, its 17th in Australia, targeting government, space, health, mining and defence customers. LINK

• nib’s new marketing campaign aims to reposition itself as a health and wellbeing brand, targeting younger consumers by highlighting benefits such as telehealth consultations and an AI symptom checker. LINK

• Healthscope, one of Australia’s largest private hospital operators, has requested rent relief at 38 of its hospitals. LINK

• Vanguard Australia has made significant redundancies, cutting around 40 employees primarily from its marketing division. LINK

• ING Australia plans to rely heavily on mortgage brokers, who account for up to 90% of its new home loans. LINK

• Greenbushes, WA’s low-cost lithium mine, is the only profitable lithium mine in Australia at current prices. LINK

• Salesforce announced the acquisition of Tenyx, a California-based startup developing AI-powered voice agents, to enhance its AI-driven solutions across various industries. LINK

• EnergyAustralia will build 2 battery projects in VIC and SA after securing government support. LINK

• Country Road Group reported a 66% drop in full-year profit as the fashion retailer struggled with low consumer confidence and internal scandals. LINK

• Merivale, one of Australia's leading hospitality groups, has been accused of fostering a culture that exploits female staff and condones drug use. LINK

• Rent4Keeps, an appliance lender targeting low-income Australians, was found guilty by the Federal Court of overcharging vulnerable customers and violating national credit laws. LINK

THE ODD PICK

Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei is in hospital being treated for severe burns after her former boyfriend allegedly set her on fire

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CHART OF THE DAY

Chrome’s Rise to Browser Dominance

BRAINTEASER

CAT BIT DOG

We've got a brainteaser to kick off your Thursday. Good luck!

Elise has a set of letter cards, one for each letter of the alphabet. Each letter card is either red, blue or green. Elise is using the letter cards to make words. She makes the words CAT, DOG, DOT, BIT and BAT, and notices that each of these words uses all three colours.

Which one of the following words would also use all three colours?

A) AID
B) BIG
C) CAB
D) TAG

Answer below

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ANSWER

B) BIG

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