The year that was
Alison Boleyn looks back at what made headlines in 2018.
JANUARY
It’s reported that the Australian Tax Office has assembled a task force to tackle cryptocurrency tax evasion.
FEBRUARY
Within six weeks of the introduction of Australia’s Notifiable Data Breaches scheme on 22 February, organisations disclose 63 cases of unauthorised access or disclosure of clients’ personal information.
Shine Lawyers reveal the number of workplace sexual harassment cases they are investigating had more than doubled in the two months after the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke.
MARCH
The United Kingdom and the European Union agree on a 21-month transitional period after Brexit Day, 29 March 2019, to ensure the “orderly withdrawal” of the UK from the union.
APRIL
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies that analytics firm Cambridge Analytica accessed the personal information of up to 87 million of the network’s users.
MAY
On 2 May, the ASX Corporate Governance Council proposes a gender target of 30 per cent female board members for the nation’s top 300 listed companies.
Online game Fortnite: Battle Royale tops $US1 billion in revenue.
JUNE
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomes daughter Neve Te Aroha on 21 June, the first elected head of government to give birth while in office since Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto in 1990.
JULY
The European Commission fines Google a record €4.3 billion (about $6.8 billion) for using its Android mobile operating system to block competitors.
AUGUST
Apple hits a market cap of $US1 trillion on 2 August.
Scott Morrison is sworn in as Australia’s head of government on 24 August, the fifth prime minister in 10 years (Kevin Rudd having held the office twice) and the 30th since Federation in 1901.
SEPTEMBER
On 13 September, the world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, pledges $US2 billion to fund preschools and tackle homelessness.
OCTOBER
ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott invites customers to email him directly with complaints, after damaging revelations were made at the banking royal commission.
Elon Musk says that the tweet that cost him the Tesla chairmanship and $US40 million in fines for misleading the stock market was “worth it”.
NOVEMBER
Millions go to the polls for the United States mid-term elections to vote for 35 of the 100 Senate seats, 39 governorships and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives.