Good on you, cobbers!

Step forward again Australia for having the courage to look Big Tech squarely in the eye and – instead of a display of hand wringing – take some action.

Having imposed age restrictions on young people's access to social media, the Australian government is now planning an attempt to give internet users some control over the harvesting of data from unwitting users.

There are also plans to restrict BAAig Tech's devious use of algorithms to hook users into a commercially driven stream of information.

It's not only young people who have fallen victim to these unscrupulous practices, data has been being harvested and sold on for all users, resulting in enormous profits to the owners and the most serious effects on those branches of the media that depend on advertising revenue.

Will our government follow suit? Until now they have shown themselves extremely reluctant to do anything that might displease their digital masters.

Eutope has shown itself a little braver, but a much tougher stance is called for.

Governments have it in their powers to impose financial sanctions of the most powerful sort on these mega rich companies - but will they dare incur the wrath of the petulant White House and actually do it?

The problem goes basck to the very early days of the internet. Big Tech succeeded early on in persuading us that they were somehow not responsible for the content they put out on their platforms.

They were not publishers in the conventional sense even though they have gained enormously from the activity.

Time to call their bluff and follow the courageous lead taken by Australia.

A voice of sanity, at last

WHAT a breath of fresh air from a major player in the renewable energy market – and, as it happens – a major donor to the Labout Party.

Step forward Dale Vince, the boss of Ecotricity, who has been one of the more persuasive voices urging the Government to see sense and allow activity to resume – if on a very limited scale – in the North Sea.

Just one element of the often illiterate 'green' policy of this government has been the readiness to countenance the purchase of oil and gas from Norway coming from virtually the same source as our own North Sea while banning exploitation of our own.

What is badly needed – and might now be starting to emerge following the appearance of new faces in the energy department – is a far better informed policy based on facts, rather than wishful thinking.

An example of the latter was the apparent move towards the approval of new nuclear facilities, both great and small, on the very specious argument that nuclear power is some 'green'.

Err, yes, and what about waste disposal and the often wildly damaging process of uranium mining, not to mention the precarious world supply situation?

Readers wishing further information on this latter – and many other environmental issues – could do worse than consult the website of veteran campaigner John Busby on www.after-oil.co.uk.

Storming the Castle

OVER THE many (far too many?) years this paper has been appearing we have seen many impressive artistic ventures come into being

One of our favourites – and the supplier of not a few of our front page illustrations as well as a very regular advertiser – has been the Castle Gallery in Inverness. It is therefore with some sadness that we learn that its founder, the inspired Denise Collins, has decided to call it a day, to retire and to put the gallery on the market.

Unlike many of her peers, Denise had an impeccably perfect preparation for the job, with a host of relevant qualifications – and it showed.

It is very much to be hoped that a worthy successor will be found to man the Castle and defend its values.

Well done, Denise!