Australia Blog
News and notes from Google Down Under
Supporting LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs and business owners with digital skills training
Friday, February 21, 2020
More than 100 entrepreneurs and business owners from the LGBTQIA+ community picked up vital new digital skills at a special workshop hosted at our Sydney office this week.
Google experts shared digital tips, tricks and tools to help attendees better connect with customers and grow their businesses — especially during the busy Mardi Gras season. The session covered topics like how to be found online and have a strong presence, how search works, and how to gain better insights into what their customers want.
Caption: Google Australia’s Head of Small Business Marketing, Richard Flanagan opens the event.
We are grateful to the
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
and
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association
who we partnered with us for the event — and which coincided with this year’s Sydney Mardi Gras Festival.
Research
from Deloitte shows that there is a digital skills gap in Australia — with a divide between future opportunities and the digital skills Australians need to realise these. It found that Aussie small businesses with high digital engagement are 1.5 times more likely to be growing revenue, seven times more likely to be exporting, and eight times more likely to be hiring. Despite this 90 per cent of small businesses aren’t taking the steps needed to realise this potential. The free workshop was designed to help address this gap for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Caption: Kate Wickett and Adrian Phoon, Co-Chairs of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
We know that digital tools and skills can open up new opportunities for members and businesses of the LGBTQIA+ community. But many people are unsure what to do or where to begin, so we created these ‘Grow with Google’ workshops to help close this gap.
Caption: Google Yash Godbole provides advice to a small business owner.
Since 2014, Google has trained more than half a million people across Australia through online and in-person digital skills training, as well as curriculum integrated through school and partner programs.
Grow with Google
aims to provide all Australians with access to digital skills training online and in-person, to help them make the most of the Internet and help close the digital skills divide. It includes an
online learning hub
accessible from anywhere, on any device, with hundreds of handy training modules.
Posted by Jake Evan, Small Medium Business Marketing Manager, Google Australia
Safer Internet Day 2020: Ten tips to help you and your family stay safe online
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Safer Internet Day
provides a timely reminder to check your privacy settings and speak to your family about staying safe online. Below are some simple tips for you to create stronger passwords, manage your settings, and browse the Internet securely.
1. Take control of data saved in your Google Account
You can find your info, privacy, and security settings all in one place – your
Google Account
gives you transparency over data collected from your activity across Google services.
2. Choose the settings that are right for you with Privacy Checkup
In just a few minutes, you can manage the types of data we collect, update what you share with friends or make public and adjust the types of ads you would like us to show you with
Privacy Checkup
.
3. Take the Security Checkup
A
step-by-step tool
to give you personalised and actionable security recommendations to help you strengthen the security of your Google Account.
4. Manage your ads preferences with Ad Settings
In Ad Settings, you can control what data is used to personalise ads to you.
5. Take your content anywhere with Download Your Data Your photos
Your emails. Your contacts. Even your bookmarks. You are in control of the data saved in your Google Account. That is why we created
Download Your Data
– so you can make a copy, back it up, or even move it to another service.
6. Create family rules about what to share
Set clear expectations for your family about what not to share online, like photos or private info.
7. Establish boundaries for your children online with Family Link
Family Link
helps parents manage their child's Google Account and Android device so they can set digital ground rules that work for their family. You can keep an eye on screen time, limit daily access, remotely lock your child’s device.
8. Set a timer on YouTube Kids
To put limits on how long your kids can spend watching videos with
YouTube Kids
and allow them to watch only collections of channels selected by trusted third parties or the YouTube Kids team.
9. Manage your child’s access to websites with Chrome
You can manage your child’s access to websites when they are using the Chrome browser on their Android or ChromeOS device and block sites that you don’t want them to visit.
10. Discover our safety programs
The
eSmart Digital Licence
program, provided by the
Alannah and Madeline Foundation
with funding from Google. helps to prepare children for the best and worst of the web.
To find out more, visit the
Google Safety Centre
for updated resources,
easy security tips
and information dedicated to educating and empowering people on important topics like
data security
,
privacy controls
and
how to use technology in a way that is right for your family
.
Safer Internet Day
aims to raise awareness about online safety and encourages everyone to help create a better internet. We hope that you take the opportunity today and regularly throughout the year to use these tools to stay safe online.
Posted by Samantha Yorke, Government Affairs and Public Policy Senior Manager, Google Australia and New Zealand
Data Privacy Day: Seven ways we protect your privacy
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Keeping you safe online is a top priority at Google, especially for the thousands of Googlers who work on privacy and security around the world. Marking Data Privacy Day, we’re sharing some of the many ways we keep you safe online and across our products—from built-in protections to easy-to-use tools that keep you in control of your privacy.
1. Keep your passwords safe
Password Manager
in your Google Account helps you remember and securely store strong passwords for all your online accounts. With
Password Checkup
, one click will tell you if any of your passwords are weak—whether you’ve reused them across multiple sites, or if we've discovered they’ve been compromised in a third-party data breach—and we’ll give you the link to change them.
2. Let Google automatically delete your data
With auto-delete for
Location History
,
Web and App Activity
and
YouTube History,
you can choose to have Google automatically delete your activity and location history every 3 or 18 months. You can also control what data is saved in your account with easy on/off controls in your
Google Account
, and even delete your data by date, product, and topic.
3. Browse the web safely with Chrome
Safe Browsing in Chrome
automatically protects you from malicious ads and warns you before you visit dangerous sites or download suspicious files. If you use Chrome, your password protections are automatically built-in. We’ll warn you if your username and password have been compromised in a known breach as you log into websites.
4. Use your favourite Google apps in Incognito mode
Incognito mode
has been one of our most popular privacy controls since it launched with Chrome in 2008, and last year we added it to YouTube and Google Maps. Tap from your profile picture to easily turn it on or off. When you turn on Incognito mode in Maps, your activity—like the places you search or get directions to—won’t be saved to your Google Account. When you turn off Incognito mode, you’ll return to a personalised Google Maps experience with restaurant recommendations, information about your commute, and other features tailored to you.
5. Try hands-free privacy controls with the Google Assistant
You can also manage your privacy settings with help from the Assistant. Just say, “Hey Google, delete everything I said to you last week” to delete Assistant activity from your Google Account, or “Hey Google, that wasn’t for you,” to tell the Assistant to forget what it heard if the Assistant responds to something that wasn’t actually a question or request. And to learn how Google keeps your data private and secure, just ask, “Hey Google, how do you keep my data safe?”
6. Check in on your privacy settings across your apps and devices
Data Privacy Day is a great time to check in on your privacy and security settings. Take a
Privacy Checkup
and we’ll walk you through key privacy settings step-by-step. You can do things like choose what data—such as your location and search history—gets saved to your Google Account or control what ads you see. When you’re finished, head over to
Security Checkup
for personalised recommendations to help protect your data and devices, like managing which third-party apps have access to your account data.
7. Control what ads you see from Google
We do not sell your personal information
to anyone and give you transparency, choice and control over how your information is used. If you’re curious about why you’re seeing an ad, you can click on
Why this ad
for more information. If you no longer find a specific ad relevant, you can choose to block that ad by using the
Mute this ad
control. And you can always control the kinds of ads you see, or turn off ads personalisation any time in your
Ad Settings
.
No matter how you use our products, it’s our responsibility to keep your data private and secure. That’s why we work every day to build the best privacy experiences and strongest protections, and we’ll continue our ongoing efforts to make privacy and security simpler for you.
Posted by Rahul Roy-Chowdhury, Vice President of Product, Privacy
Celebrating community and resilience
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Resilience and a sense of community have long been part of Australia’s national identity. We’ve seen that on display in spades in recent weeks and months as people across the country have battled horrific bushfires.
Countless communities have been impacted, with more than 10 million hectares burned, many lives tragically lost and thousands of homes damaged. An estimated billion animals have perished or been seriously injured. The impact on our landscape, flora and fauna has been devastating.
26 January means different things for different Australians, but we are united in our respect and admiration for our Australian firefighters, emergency services personnel and to all those who volunteer to help people in need.
Today’s Doodle recognises their contribution across the nation. Inspired by their bravery, resilience and efforts in the midst of crisis, we chose to honour and celebrate them with a Doodle featuring three firies and a koala, highlighting the volunteers and the people, places and wildlife they are trying to protect.
With several months of summer to go, more bushfires are expected. While searches for “fires near me” were already the
top trending Search query
in Australia in 2019, finding information about fires nearby
continues to be top of mind for many Aussies
. We hope that tools like the
crisis map
can be helpful when people are looking for timely information about the bushfires, and that support like our
digital skills training
can help communities get back on their feet in the months and years to come.
To all the fire and emergency services personnel and volunteers across Australia - thank you for all that you do.
Note: As the recovery continues, you can find out more and contribute to the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery fund
here
.
Posted by Mel Silva, VP and Managing Director, Google Australia
Tools for small businesses impacted by bushfires
Monday, January 20, 2020
The devastating bushfires have impacted communities across Australia. Countless small businesses have been affected - both directly through damage to premises and as customers can’t reach their business in the way they usually would.
Online tools can help to get information out and reach these audiences. We’re working to assist small businesses to help address immediate issues with their online presence.
Businesses impacted by the bushfires may want to consider taking the following steps on their Google My Business profile to provide the most timely and accurate information on Google Search and Maps:
Editing
your hours of operation so customers can know if they are open, closed, or have modified hours on Google Search and Maps.
If you’re unable to be at your physical business location,
update
your business phone number to your mobile phone, so you can answer business calls remotely.
Create
free posts to communicate timely information like service changes or inventory updates directly on the Google My Business profile.
Download
the free Google My Business app, and
activate
messaging on your Business Profile to allow customers text you directly from Google Search and Maps.
Businesses impacted by bushfires can seek assistance related to their Google Ads campaigns by contacting the bushfire support hotline on 1800 287 850. We can help you pause campaigns, get help with payments, or start new campaigns as your business picks up.
We are also hosting free digital skills training sessions for small businesses in impacted communities to help them get back on their feet. Our first training will be in
Shellharbour
on 10 March 2020 and you can find more details about upcoming events at
Grow with Google
.
Posted by Rich Flanagan, Head of Business Marketing, Google Australia
Support for bushfire relief efforts
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Australians and people around the world have watched in horror as the recent bushfire crisis unfolded. Communities right across Australia have been impacted, with more than 10 million hectares burned, thousands of homes damaged, wildlife injured or killed and 27 lives tragically lost to date. Our thoughts are with all those suffering.
Throughout the bushfire crisis, Australians have searched for updates on fire conditions near them, as well as safety information. In 2019, “fires near me” was the
highest Search query
in Australia, highlighting the demand for accurate and timely information. We’ve
provided support
to help ensure people can access information from fire and emergency services authorities when they need it most.
In December, we
announced
Google staff in Australia had led a fundraising effort for the Australian Red Cross for bushfire relief. This campaign with staff donations, matched contributions and a grant from Google’s charitable arm
Google.org
has raised more than $3 million (AUD) to date for the
Australian Red Cross
,
WWF
and bushfire response and long-term recovery efforts. We hope this can play some part in helping affected communities.
More immediately, we’ve worked
with Infoxchange
to add a bushfire services section to the
Ask Izzy website
, which lists over 370,000 support services across Australia to connect people with help in times of need.
Australians are renowned for helping each other in times of need and our thoughts are with everyone impacted and those still at risk.
In coming months we will offer
Grow with Google digital skills training
for small businesses in impacted communities to help them get back on their feet and connect with customers. Our first free training for small businesses and nonprofits will be in
Shellharbour
on 10 March 2020.
More details to come about the training available near you. And stay tuned for updates as we continue to work with fire and emergency services to connect Australians with information when they need it most.
Posted by Mel Silva, VP and Managing Director, Google Australia
YOUTUBE SIGNS GAMING CREATORS LAZARBEAM, MUSELK AND VALKYRAE TO EXCLUSIVE LIVE STREAMING DEALS
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Muselk to Host 12- Hour Livestream with LazarBeam Today to Benefit Australian Bushfire Crisis; First YouTube Livestream for Valkyrae to Begin Tuesday, January 14
YouTube today announced that the platform will be the exclusive live streaming home for three well-renowned gaming creators:
LazarBeam
,
Muselk
and
Valkyrae
who combined have over 21 million subscribers. As the largest global gaming platform where over 200 million logged-in users watch gaming every single day, YouTube is continuing to bolster its global gaming content with today’s announcement.
With an already healthy audience on the platform, LazarBeam (12.3M subscribers) has the eighth most viewed channel on YouTube with over 2B views in 2019; Muselk (8.15M subscribers) whose boundless excitement for gaming has driven him to gain 7.8M subscribers over the last two years; and Valkyrae, a rising superstar live streamer on the verge of breaking 1M subs on YouTube. All three will continue to grow their presence on the platform and Muselk and Valkyrae will kick off their first-ever YouTube live streams today (Muselk) and tomorrow, January 14 (Valkyrae).
Muselk, in coordination with Click Management and LazarBeam, will host a 12 hour charity livestream with the goal to raise $1M AUD for the Australian Bushfire Crisis. To get involved, tune into Muselk’s channel at 2:00 PST today and donate at the #FightTheFires
GoFundMe page
.
Lannan (LazarBeam) is one of the world's biggest content creators, with over 12 million subscribers. Starting on YouTube in 2015, Lannan quickly found an audience with his down to earth personality and humor. His Aussie larrikin personality resonated with a huge audience, as he showed people you don't have to be the best to have fun gaming. Moving to Fortnite in 2018, Lannan's growth exploded, and he has since grown to be one of the top ten most viewed gaming creators in the world. Through starting streaming on YouTube, Lannan’s aim is to 'do more,' by showing his audience a different side of himself, experimenting with new digital content, and creating a bigger impact on the world of entertainment. His deal with YouTube was brokered by WME and Click Management.
Elliott (Muselk) has loved gaming since he was a kid. Originally studying to earn a law degree, Elliott started making YouTube videos after classes at night. As his passion grew, so too did his audience, and through convincing his parents to let him 'take a six month break' from university, he never looked back, jumping full time into content creation on YouTube. Elliott has grown to an 8 million subscriber audience through his palpable love for games. He is passionate about helping other creators grow in the industry and is a co-owner of Click Management, one of the leading talent management agencies for digital gaming creators. His deal with YouTube was brokered by WME and Click Management.
Rachell Hofstetter (Valkyrae) is a top female Fortnite creator who previously streamed games such as Witcher 3, Hearthstone and Dark Souls. She was invited to the Fortnite PRO AM tournament at E3 2019 and saw explosive growth following the event on Instagram, YouTube and Twitch. Rachell was the first female member to join top esports organization 100 Thieves. Beyond her Fortnite success, Rachell is known for her diverse content, including her collaborations with other creators, vlogs, and charity streams for philanthropic initiatives such as the Gamers Outreach Foundation. She also has a passion for fitness and is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle in the world of live streaming. She plans to use YouTube’s global reach to translate the importance of mental and physical well-being to viewers across the world. Her deal with YouTube was brokered by UTA.
“Gaming on YouTube just had its best year yet. We saw over 35 million people upload a gaming video in 2019, we had live stream events like Fortnite ‘The End,’ where over 4 million people tuned in and we added incredible creators like Lachlan and CouRage to our ever expanding roster of exclusive live streamers,“ said Ryan Wyatt, Head of Gaming, YouTube. “Every gaming creator, no matter where they live stream, is a YouTube gaming creator, and we’re proud to be the home of the best gaming content in the world. 2020 is poised to be even better than 2019 with the exciting content we know will be coming from LazarBeam, Muselk and Valkyrae. We’re so excited to have them be a part of our global live streaming family.”
“I’m so excited to join YouTube as a streamer!,” said Valkyrae. “From day one, the YouTube team has been fully aligned with all of my goals. With the support from YouTube, my family and my fans, I will not only continue to do my best as a streamer, but I will also venture into other areas of content and grow my brand even further! I am so grateful for the opportunities and for all my loyal fans who have stuck with me though all my decisions throughout my career. I can’t wait for the next chapter!”
“Livestreaming is an incredible opportunity to both grow my channel as well as have even more meaningful interactions with my audience,” said Muselk. “I’m so happy to have YouTube as my home for that, and bring my viewers both my video and live content together on the same platform!”
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