The Conversation
Business

‘Dark ads’ on Facebook aid discrimination, so a new project is researching how that affects Australians

- October 4, 2021 4 MIN READ

Social media platforms are transforming how online advertising works and, in turn, raising concerns about new forms of discrimination and predatory marketing. So the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society (ADM+S) — a multi-university entity led by RMIT — launched the Australian Ad Observatory. This research project will explore how platforms… Read more »

woman, laptop, facebook
Business

Women are finding support in closed Facebook groups, but running them adds to their burden and stress

- September 27, 2021 3 MIN READ

Would you share your most intimate thoughts with strangers? For many women, during the pandemic and associated lockdowns, closed Facebook groups have been a place to do just that. These groups offer a chance to escape the house virtually and spend time with like-minded souls, sometimes chatting, often venting, and seeking solidarity in virtual sisterhood.… Read more »

Business

Online food delivery is the fast route to junk food for millennials

- August 17, 2021 4 MIN READ

With the simple touch of a smartphone, online food delivery services conveniently offer takeaway food straight to your door. Contact-free delivery has surged in popularity as lockdowns have limited physical access to restaurants and food outlets. Industry reports suggest Australians are spending three times more on online food delivery than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally,… Read more »

koala, bushfire
Politics

Here’s what you need to know about the worrying new IPCC report on climate change

- August 10, 2021 5 MIN READ

Earth has warmed 1.09℃ since pre-industrial times and many changes such as sea-level rise and glacier melt are now virtually irreversible, according to the most sobering report yet by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report also found escape from human-caused climate change is no longer possible. Climate change is now affecting every… Read more »

R&D, science, man looking in microscope
Topic

Dumb luck has hidden Australia’s poor R&D investment record and it’s time to fix that

- July 22, 2021 3 MIN READ

Australia’s long run of economic growth from the early 1990s to early 2020 inspired much boasting by incumbent politicians. But behind the hubris and headlines lies a less flattering story — about Australia riding a wave of dumb luck, with exports to China and relatively high levels of immigration masking mundane economic performance. The most… Read more »

Melbourne laneway
Business

New modelling suggests Victoria’s 5-day lockdown isn’t enough to stop the Delta strain’s march

- July 18, 2021 4 MIN READ

Victoria has entered a five-day lockdown to control its growing outbreak of the more infectious Delta variant. Until midnight on Tuesday restrictions mean residents are only allowed to leave home for essential reasons, can only travel five kilometres away from home, and need to wear masks outside the home, among other measures. Breaking: Victoria has… Read more »

cyber hacking
Cyber security

The top 5 most dangerous criminal organisations online right now

- July 8, 2021 4 MIN READ

On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog! These words from Peter Steiner’s famous cartoon could easily be applied to the recent ransomware attack on Florida-based software supplier Kaseya. Kaseya provides software services to thousands of clients around the world. It’s estimated between 800 and 1,500 medium to small businesses may be impacted by the… Read more »

delivery rider
Other

THE GIG’S UP: Fair Work Commission’s finds Deliveroo driver was unfairly dismissed because he was an employee, not a contractor

- May 19, 2021 4 MIN READ

The ruling by Australia’s Fair Work Commission that online food delivery platform Deliveroo unfairly dismissed driver Diego Franco marks a major shift in the Australian “gig” economy. What’s most significant is the commission has ruled Franco was, in fact, an employee of Deliveroo, not an independent contractor – the legal strategy platform companies use to… Read more »

Mark Zuckerberg
Data

Apple’s latest iOS update has app tracking controls that threaten Facebook’s revenue. Here’s how it works and whether you should you use it

- April 29, 2021 4 MIN READ

Apple users across the globe are adopting the latest operating system update, called iOS 14.5, featuring the now-obligatory new batch of emojis. But there’s another change that’s arguably less fun but much more significant for many users: the introduction of “app tracking transparency”. This feature promises to usher in a new era of user-oriented privacy,… Read more »

Global tech

Parents are worried about the impact of technology on their digital native kids

- April 28, 2021 3 MIN READ

More than nine out of ten parents think digital media and technologies are a negative distraction in their lives. And 83% think their children are also negatively distracted by digital devices. These are some of the findings from our Growing Up Digital Australia study. In 2020 we surveyed nearly 2,500 parents, grandparents and caregivers across… Read more »

Topic

It’s not the first time apps against sexual violence have been tried. Problem is they don’t work

- March 20, 2021 3 MIN READ

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller suggested this week that technology should be part of the solution to growing concerns around sexual assault. He encouraged serious discussion about using a digital app to record positive sexual consent. In our research, we have studied a wide range of mobile applications and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots… Read more »