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Australians now have to scan a passport or driver's licence into their iPhone before Apple will let them download an app rated 18 plus or turn off a safety setting.
Pick & Scroll News
September 16, 2026
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Good morning. Australians now have to scan a passport or driver’s licence into their iPhone before Apple will let them download an app rated 18+ or turn off a safety setting.
A credit card sitting on the account will also do the job, though a debit card or a gift card will not.
Proving you are a grown-up now means handing over government ID or showing that a bank thinks you are good for the money.
All the headlines and more below...
NEARLY 4 IN 10 SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS PAID THEMSELVES LESS THAN $40,000 LAST FINANCIAL YEAR
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry surveyed more than 1,000 businesses with up to 24 full-time equivalent employees in FY25 and found 62.9% identified rising costs as their biggest challenge, while 48.9% cited maintaining profitability. 38.5% of owners paid themselves less than $40,000, or no wage at all.
Small business owners are the last to be paid after rent, rates, suppliers and staff wages are covered, which means many take home less than their employees while working unpaid hours on accounts, compliance and administration. Separate research from the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia found 60% of 841 owners surveyed had been unable to pay themselves at least occasionally in the previous 12 months, and around a quarter were regularly dipping into personal savings to keep their business afloat.
49.3% of respondents rated their stress at 7 out of 10 or higher, with 53% rating cash flow and financial pressure as stressful or extremely stressful. 33.7% said they had considered closing their business in the previous year, while 24.7% were considering closing in the coming 12 months - the highest result in 3 years.
AUSTRALIAN NEWS
The Housing Industry Association has reported a 10% drop in August new-home sales, as tax changes and 3 interest rate rises hit buyer confidence and borrowing capacity. LINK
The World Trade Organisation has warned that Australia, as a medium-sized economy, risks heavy losses if global trade rules collapse, projecting exports down 27% and world GDP 7% lower by 2050. LINK
ASFA has warned that older Australians need annual incomes of about $78,998 for a couple and $56,166 for a single homeowner as inflation on essentials widens the Age Pension gap. LINK
Qantas and Virgin frequent flyer schemes are shifting from bank credit cards to on-the-ground partners as the RBA surcharge ban looms, with points experts urging value checks. AUS
The federal government has resisted calls to again cut the 54c-a-litre fuel excise as Middle East conflict shuts key oil routes and pushes petrol above $2 and diesel to about $2.50. LINK
35,000 WESTPAC STAFF ARE NOW USING AI TOOLS, 72% HAVE EMBEDDED THEM INTO DAILY WORKFLOWS
Westpac has unveiled plans to embed artificial intelligence across every part of the bank, targeting growth in home lending and deposits as AI moves from trial stage to full-scale rollout. 95% of staff use AI tools monthly, with 72% integrating AI into their workflows. The bank is deploying AI to lift the share of home loans it writes through its own channels rather than brokers.
The rollout comes as chief data, digital and AI officer Andrew McMullan urged the developers behind the technology to remember their founding purpose. He pointed to OpenAI, which was set up to ensure AI served humanity, and Anthropic, which split from OpenAI over concerns it was prioritising profit. "I would implore them all to go back into their manifesto and think about why they were formed," he said.
Westpac is the country's second-largest bank and is positioning itself as one of Australia's biggest corporate users of AI. The strategy marks one of the clearest signals yet that Australian banks are moving the technology from the lab into live operations.
COMPANY NEWS
Woolworths has been accused by anonymous suppliers of threatening to delist products unless they accept lower “everyday” prices as its Customer Offer Reset range cuts raise fairness concerns. AFR
Cue and Veronika Maine have entered voluntary administration and receivership as dwindling sales and rising overhead costs hit the 58-year-old womenswear retailer with 51 stores. LINK
The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal has found Anytime Fitness engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct and applied an unfair transfer clause. LINK
More than 3,000 CBA workers have signed an FSU petition accusing the bank of a dismal sub-inflation pay offer as they report crushing workloads and financial hardship. LINK
Australian Off Road has collapsed into administration after 26 years, blaming intensifying product copying and price pressure from increasingly sophisticated Chinese imports. LINK
Airbnb has launched an Airbnb Housing Accelerator, pledging an initial US$250M to provide below-market “last dollar” financing and unlock US$5B in stalled affordable or mixed-income housing developments. LINK
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ONE MORE SCROLL
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