#Democracy

There are two common ways of thinking about democracy in the online era. First, the internet is a liberation technology and will usher in an era of global democracy. Second, you can have social media or democracy, but not both.

Bird of prey

Elon Musk has imposed sweeping change on Twitter in his first week of ownership, sacking top executives and half the staff while promising higher fees on users. Far from offering a fresh start, nervous advertisers and users are already starting to flee.

Tackling digital extremism

The digital revolution has made extremist ideas more widely accessible, visible, and potentially more relatable and palatable but digital technologies are also an indispensable part of the solution to this growing problem for liberal democracy.

Telling it straight

A new bill in New Zealand will encourage the use of clear English by the public service, following trends set in the USA, the UK and elsewhere.

The trouble with Twitter

Twitter’s former security chief, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, has accused the microblogging platform company of serious security failings.

Overshare

Social media are increasingly blurring the lines between our personal and professional lives, leaving us at risk of posting sensitive information that could have ramifications far beyond our “friends” list.

#EmptyOldTrafford

Sentiment analysis of Twitter posts can reveal social trends far more quickly than traditional methods, be they international issues, political spats or sporting controversies.

Fakes, facts and flame outs

Hostile governments, conspiracy theorists and politically motivated individuals use social media to spread lies for profit or to gain a strategic advantage, so what can we do to protect ourselves?

Generation meme

Research into media consumption shows that young people learn about politics through tweets, spoofs and memes today, rather than school, civic organisations and the traditional media.

Better politics requires better reporting

If politics really is to be done differently, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised, then the way politics is reported will need to be done differently too.

Cast iron facts about tin-foil hats

It may seem like more and more people are falling prey to increasingly bizarre conspiracy theories such as QAnon and flat Earth ‘theory’, but such beliefs may actually not have increased over time, according to US and UK researchers.

Post at your professional peril

What people post on social media in their private lives can affect their professional reputation and, rightly or not, even cost them their jobs.