A nation of digital users or leaders?

Australia risks becoming a laggard among the world’s top technologically driven nations without a stronger investment in digital technology-based research, innovation and workers, according to a new report.

Face to face

In these times of remote communication – and connection problems – how do we empathise with each other through the curtain of technology when non-verbal cues are missing?

A little bird told me…

Twitter has a reputation for ill tempered interactions, but changes in its design could help moderate the heat of debate and reduce the incidence of personal targeting and abuse.

Influence for hire in the Asia-Pacific

Social media platforms across the region are being exploited by anti-democratic forces to spread disinformation and undermine support for freely elected governments and democracy itself.

News Corp walks a delicate line on COVID politics

Decision makers within News Corporation are now fighting among themselves over how its platforms should position themselves in response to the worsening COVID crisis in New South Wales.

Your face belongs to TikTok

TikTok is hugely popular but its latest decision to capture unique digital copies of users faces and voices poses a cybersecurity threat to our identities and privacy.

Time to cancel cancel culture?

Banishing people from public discourse for personal transgressions or political incorrectness can do more harm than good.

WhatsApp and the right to encrypt

Encrypted messaging has become a very difficult business. Despite their reach, it’s hard to make money from messaging apps and their key service – encryption – is under constant attack from actors across the political spectrum.

The insights and idiocy of social media research

The methods used to generate evidence for seemingly significant scientific findings regarding social media can also seem to support nonsensical claims.

You are the product

A recent expose by the investigative journalists at The Markup revealed how Facebook uses detailed information about what people do online – the websites they visit and the search terms they use – to allow pharmaceutical companies to target people regarding medical conditions in which they’ve shown an interest.

No news isn’t good news

Thousands of Australian journalists have lost their jobs in recent years as traditional newsrooms cut staff after advertising revenues collapsed in the face of internet competition.

May cause side effects

A UNSW researcher says a positive social media campaign could help to counter misinformation and fears about COVID vaccine side effects and boost vaccination uptake.