Bushfires, bots and the spread of disinformation

As fire wreaked havoc across large swathes of the country, online Australia battled another crisis in the form of waves of misinformation and disinformation sweeping across social media.

When truth goes up in flames

The horrific tragedy of recent and ongoing Australian bushfires has highlighted the connection between threats to the natural environment and the media environment, through which misinformation and disinformation is spreading like, well, wildfire.

How a month at sea weaned me from technology

Australians spend a ridiculous 10 hours a day on their phones and computers, and while most people can’t take a month at sea to get away from it all, simple steps to ‘digitally detox’ can help us all get our lives back.

Is social media addictive?

Is social media addictive? Really, truly addictive? Is it so compelling and rewarding for some excessive users that it affects behaviour and choices in “real” life, like substance abuse and gambling?

The Digital Platforms Inquiry gets a lukewarm government response

The ACCC’s inquiry was launched to address concerns about the market power of major digital platforms, such as Google and Facebook, and their impact on Australia’s businesses and media.

Teens should ‘get smart’ about social media

New research indicates that social media is leading young adolescent girls and boys down a worrying path towards developing body image issues and eating disorder behaviours – even though they are smartphone savvy.

Engage the public in the fight against foreign interference

Australian citizens are frontline actors in today’s national security challenges: as targets of malign interference and coercion, victims of collateral damage, and agents of national resilience.

A win for free speech?

New proposals for media reforms will make it harder for people to successfully sue a news organisation for defamation.

The global disinformation order

We once hoped that social media would help bring down dictatorships, but the use of social media by authoritarian countries to spread their propaganda around the world is actually undermining democratic nations.

Press freedom under threat in the South Pacific

Journalism has always been a tough trade in the South Pacific but growing pressure from China is threatening to make the situation worse.

Are legal curbs coming for social media?

Defamation law reform may see social media companies held liable for what they publish, but while this would be good for lawyers, it might be chilling for free speech.

The fracturing of our media and our community

The decline of traditional media has removed control of the news from a handful of moguls, but they’ve been replaced by tech-giants and algorithms which damage society’s ability to hold a shared conversation.