LinkedIn at 20

Lots of people in the business world have a Linkedin account, which is why Microsoft paid billions for the company, although how much they actually use it is another matter.

Iran’s TikTok revolution

Gil Scott Heron was right, the revolution is not being televised, at least in Iran, but the ‘TikTok generation’ at the forefront of the protests is using social media to organise and get their message across.

Bye bye bluebird?

The mercurial Elon Musk seems determined to destroy the microblogging site he paid $44 billion for, but the world would lose a lot if Musk does ruin or even bankrupt Twitter.

#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.