Information, disinformation and democracy in a volatile world

We need to focus on the hard business of cyber defence as well as long-term trust-building and real-time information interventions to counter the attacks of hostile states on our democracy.

Beware the Ides of March

Starting on 15 March, the ABC is compelling everybody who wants to use its iView platform to have a login. The broadcaster offers no choice and no opt-out except to cease using iView.

How to break up with social media

Spending too much time mindlessly scrolling through your phone? Want to delete your social media, but can’t bring yourself to do it? Here are some ways to take the first steps back into the real world.

Breaking the “illusion of consensus”

UNSW psychology researchers have produced guidelines for better communication of key messages and ways to avoid misinformation.

Does misinformation matter?

Are many of the beliefs about the problem of conspiracy theories and misinformation on the internet myths in themselves?

Booting up AI to combat misinformation

Machine learning could hold the key to understanding and combating online misinformation on climate change and other vital issues.

President Twitter

A computational analysis of billions of phrases found in tweets has uncovered new insights into the timelines of the many major stories that surrounded the disgraced former President Donald Trump from 2016 to 2021.

Tough new rules promised for tech privacy

A proposed online privacy code would give consumers more control over how tech companies collect and use their data.

How Facebook controls the ads you see

Personal data is a goldmine for advertisers and Facebook may be making the most of it via dark ads that tap into your ethnicity, gender, income, age, political interests and more. QUT and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society have launched the Australian Ad Observatory and need participants to find out how they are being targeted.

Combating climate misinformation

Misinformation about major issues such as climate change has polluted our information landscape for three decades, poisoning public discourse and clouding people’s minds.

Naming names won’t stop abuse on social media

Anonymity sometimes cloaks abusive behaviour online, but social media users aren’t necessarily less abusive under their real names, or mandating identification may not resolve the problem.

Protecting ‘cognitive security’

Australia and other democratic nations must do more to protect their societies from foreign propaganda designed to foment conflict and conspiracies.