Planet selfie

After the COVID interregnum, more people are traveling to more exotic holiday destinations than ever, but the rise of social media means that many of them seem to be doing it to be seen there, rather than see the places they are going.

You can’t win

People asked to check the truthfulness of fake news stories online may be more likely to believe the misinformation is true, and that may be because search engines expose them to more fake news as they do so, according to US scientists.

China’s AI powered assault on YouTube

A recent investigation from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has revealed an extensive network of YouTube channels promoting pro-Chinese and anti-US public opinion in the English-speaking world.

How they get you

Disinformation peddled by hostile foreign states, misinformation spread by ignorant individuals and scams perpetrated by con-artists abound on social media, so how can we protect ourselves – and our sanity – against them?

Weeding out disinformation

A recent OECD conference on the global challenge of online disinformation to the world’s democracies highlighted a number of strategies which Australia could adopt or consider.

The network effect

Researchers at the University of Sydney have discovered new structural relationships in complex online and social media networks, such as Twitter and political blogs, that could help explain the digital flow of influence and information.

Talking together

The fight against misinformation and disinformation must be combined with rebuilding trust in public institutions, parliaments, governments, the courts, the media and the police and create a more cohesive and less polarised society.

Countering the conspiracy mongers

Trying to shut down conspiracy theories with laws and regulation isn’t working so it may be time to try something different.

Cutting through the noise

Education must play a role in helping the population of democratic nations like Australia sort through the noise on social media and find proper sources of reliable information online.

Scrolling into eco-stress

Young people are subject to a heavy dose of social media-driven eco-anxiety over the environment but there are ways we can help them beat it.

Protecting digital democracy

Attempts by the United Nations to create multilateral safeguards for the digital world shouldn’t allow brutal dictatorships such as Russia and China to circumscribe free speech to protect their own interests and agenda.

Combating fake news, or silencing expression?

Is the Federal Government’s bill to combat online misinformation really an affront to free speech and, therefore, to democracy itself? And if so, how might it be revised to protect, rather than circumscribe, online expression?