Dear Lifehacker, I have a question about the rights of bottle shop assistants to check IDs. I was at a bottle store a few days ago with a friend buying two bottles of beer. The checkout assistant asked for my ID which was fine and even a bit flattering (I'm almost 30). But then she asked my friend for her ID too.
Tagged With legal
When in doubt about who the father of a baby is, just do a paternity test. That seems like a no-brainer, especially since DNA testing has come a long way so it can provide quicker and more accurate results. But what if a man doesn't want to find out if he's the father? Is it legal to refuse a paternity test? Let's find out.
President Trump's campaign chairmen, Paul Manafort, was indicted yesterday and ordered to surrender to authorities. According to the New York Times, he is charged with funelling "millions of dollars through overseas shell companies and the money to buy luxury cars, real estate, antiques and expensive suits." His associate Rick Gates was also charged. The Times notes that this represents "a significant escalation in a special counsel investigation that has cast a shadow over Mr. Trump's first year in office."
There are two reasons you might find to sleep in your car. One: ROAD TRIP! Two: You've had a bigger night than you expected and now you can't drive home. Cabs are expensive. You're not a fan of Uber. It's too late to catch any form of public transport. You could walk, you think, but a four hour walk in the dark isn't a great plan. So you decide that you need to have a little kip in your automobile and you lay down across the back seat and start to snooze.
But is it actually legal to punch some Z's in your vehicle? Let's find out.
Dear Lifehacker, I recently read about a guy who got a letter from the council saying that he needed to apply for planning approval of a cubby house that he had built in his backyard over 12 months prior. (Apparently it's the same deal as with a shed, requiring council approval.) Why is that the case? Why does anyone building anything on their own property need to ask the council for permission?
A lot of people have strong feelings about flag burning. It's often considered to be the ultimate unpatriotic act or even a precursor to violence. If you really want people to think you hate your country -- burning the flag will usually do it. But regardless of the social and political implications of the act, is flag burning actually illegal?
Quick straw poll - how many of us actually read the license agreement when we sign on to an online service or install a new app? I'll be honest, I almost never do. And the only times I have is in corporate environments where the lawyers have done it for me.
But this week, it has been revealed that genealogy company Ancestry has been offering DNA testing where they claim perpetual ownership of your DNA.
Australia’s data retention laws became compulsory yesterday, which means all telcos and internet service providers must now retain their customers' metadata for two years. This is supposed to assist law enforcement agencies in their war against homegrown terrorists and other criminals -- but it arguably comes at the expense of normal Australians' privacy. Attempting to avoid these laws and send messages "off the gird" isn't easy, but it remains possible. Dr Philip Branch from the Swinburne University of Technology explains what you need to know.
Last month, it was reported that Village Roadshow, the company that spearheaded the court case that forced Australian ISPs to block a handful of torrent websites, was on the warpath again. It wanted to block an additional 40 sites. That number has since swelled to 74. Here's what you need to know.
Uber drivers collecting GST isn't anything new, ever since the Australian Taxation Office weighed in on the situation back in 2015. However, you may not have known that Uber took the ATO to court over the decision. The case came to a conclusion on Friday, with the Federal Court ruling in favour of the ATO.
You're running late for a morning meeting and you jump in the car with a piece of toast dangling out of your mouth. You happily nibble on the toast as you steer the car with one hand, content that you've avoided a case of the hangries and you're on track to arrive at your destination on time. But is eating while you drive legal?
In December last year, the Federal Court ordered Australian ISPS to block a number of popular torrent websites in a case brought on by Foxtel and Village Roadshow. The court gave ISPs 15 working days to implement site-blocking technology to prevent subscribers from accessing the torrent websites. Today is the deadline.
Last week, the Federal Court of Australia ordered internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to five major torrent websites. This was a result of court action taken by rights holders Foxtel and Village Roadshow in their desperate fight against piracy. But here's the thing: it's incredibly easy to bypass any site-blocking implemented by ISPs. So is it legal for Australians to access the blocked websites locally? Let's find out.
A video of a man punching a kangaroo has gone viral. To be fair, the bloke was trying to save his dog, but considering the RSPCA is investigating the matter, we can only assume people raised concerns about animal cruelty. Which begs the question: is it legal to punch a kangaroo, even if it’s in self-defence? Read on to find out.
It is now officially against the law for provisional licence holders in NSW to use their phones in any way while driving. If you get caught using a voice-activated GPS app while behind the wheel - even if your phone is secured to a hands-free cradle - you will be suspended from driving for three months. Here are the details.