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    Netflix makes push into documentaries

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    This image released by Netflix shows a scene from "E-Team," a documentary film about human rights workers. (AP Photo/Netflix)
    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Netflix is making a push into documentaries, with the subscription service announcing deals on Thursday to premiere four new films in the next few months.

    Netflix has always made non-fiction films available to subscribers, but until recently they have been projects initially made for theatrical release or on television networks. Netflix said it now wants filmmakers to make their work specifically for the service, or use Netflix to offer the first wide distribution.

    The first of the four new films to be released will be "Battered Bastards of Baseball," about a defunct minor league baseball team. It will premiere on Netflix on July 11.

    "Mission Blue," a documentary about marine biologist Sylvia Earle and her campaign to create a network of protected marine sanctuaries, is set for Aug. 15. Later this year the service will premiere "E-Team," a film about human rights workers from the makers of the Oscar-winning documentary "Born Into Brothels," and "Print the Legend," about 3-D printing.

    Lisa Nishimura, head of Netflix's documentary unit, said the service is intentionally trying to present films on a wide variety of topics. Its selling point to filmmakers is that Netflix will make the documentaries available on the service for a lengthy period of time. TV networks and theatrical releases can offer a bigger burst of attention, but the films are generally only available for a short period.




    A social media ban for under-16s passes the Australian Senate and will soon be a world-first law

    Thursday, November 28, 2024
    A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media, Sydney, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image VIA AP)

    A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Senate Thursday and will soon become a world-first law.

    The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.

    The Senate passed the bill 34 votes to 19. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the legislation 102 votes to 13.

    The House has yet to endorse opposition amendments made in the Senate. But that is a formality since the government has already agreed they will pass.

    The platforms will have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced.

    The amendments bolster privacy protections. Platforms would not be allowed to compel users to provide government-issued identity documents including passports or driver's licenses, nor could they demand digital identification through a government system.

    The House is scheduled to pass the amendments on Friday. Critics of the legislation fear that banning young children from social media will impact the privacy of users who must establish they are older than 16.

    While the major parties support the ban, many child welfare and mental health advocates are concerned about unintended consequences.

    Sen. David Shoebridge, from the minority Greens party, said mental health experts agreed that the ban could dangerously isolate many children who used social media to find support.

    "This policy will hurt vulnerable young people the most, especially in regional communities and especially the LGBTQI community, by cutting them off," Shoebridge told the... Read More

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