In 2023, retail websites and apps experienced significant growth, driven by Australians seeking value and convenience online amid a cost of living crisis. Open AI, the owner of ChatGPT, topped the list of the top 100 consumer websites and apps for the year, indicating a strong consumer embrace of AI technology. Other companies in the top 10 for audience growth included Temu, Mastercard, Shop App, Afterpay, Doordash, Big W, Dan Murphy’s, Target Australia, and Woolworths’ gift cards.

In December 2023, Australians aged 14+ spent more than 3.8 hours a day online, a 3.4% increase from November, totalling 117 hours for the month. The most consumed website and app categories in December were technology, social networking, search engines, retail and commerce, and entertainment. Energy & Utilities was the fastest-growing category in December, rising by 11.8% compared to November. Events & Attractions and Games categories also saw their highest audience for the year in December.

Major global and local news events continued to fuel online reading of news sites, with almost 20.4 million people using a news website or app in December. Queensland-based news websites and apps saw significant audience increases in December due to local news events.