Kremlin tightens control over Russians’ online lives – threatening domestic freedoms and the global internet

Stanislav Budnitsky, Indiana University Since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine in late February 2022, Russian internet users have experienced what has been dubbed the descent of a “digital iron curtain.” Russian authorities blocked access to all major opposition news sites, as well as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Under the new draconian laws purporting… Continue reading Kremlin tightens control over Russians’ online lives – threatening domestic freedoms and the global internet

How parents’ internet addiction can fuel their children’s – and what to do about it

Raian Ali, Bournemouth University Teenagers are often accused of being addicted to their mobile devices, but new research shows they’re often just modelling their parents’ behaviour. Of course, we all use digital devices for work, for fun, and for socialising – but too much screen time can be harmful. There is such a thing as… Continue reading How parents’ internet addiction can fuel their children’s – and what to do about it

AI information retrieval: A search engine researcher explains the promise and peril of letting ChatGPT and its cousins search the web for you

Chirag Shah, University of Washington The prominent model of information access before search engines became the norm – librarians and subject or search experts providing relevant information – was interactive, personalized, transparent and authoritative. Search engines are the primary way most people access information today, but entering a few keywords and getting a list of… Continue reading AI information retrieval: A search engine researcher explains the promise and peril of letting ChatGPT and its cousins search the web for you

Browser cookies make people more cautious online, study finds

Elizabeth Stoycheff, Wayne State University Website cookies are online surveillance tools, and the commercial and government entities that use them would prefer people not read those notifications too closely. People who do read the notifications carefully will find that they have the option to say no to some or all cookies. The problem is, without… Continue reading Browser cookies make people more cautious online, study finds

What happens to our data when we no longer use a social media network or publishing platform?

Katie Mackinnon, University of Toronto The internet plays a central role in our lives. I — and many others my age — grew up alongside the development of social media and content platforms. My peers and I built personal websites on GeoCities, blogged on LiveJournal, made friends on MySpace and hung out on Nexopia. Many… Continue reading What happens to our data when we no longer use a social media network or publishing platform?

ChatGPT can’t lie to you, but you still shouldn’t trust it

Mackenzie Graham, University of Oxford “ChatGPT is a natural language generation platform based on the OpenAI GPT-3 language model.” Why did you believe the above statement? A simple answer is that you trust the author of this article (or perhaps the editor). We cannot verify everything we are told, so we regularly trust the testimony… Continue reading ChatGPT can’t lie to you, but you still shouldn’t trust it

Consumer Privacy Protection Act could lead to fines for deceptive designs in apps and websites

Jonathan Obar, York University, Canada https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/consumer-privacy-protection-act-could-lead-to-fines-for-deceptive-designs-in-apps-and-websites Canada’s proposed Consumer Privacy Protection Act (CPPA) prohibits online consent processes that are deceptive or misleading. Companies may face fines for breaking the act’s rules. This could be trouble for social media platforms, online shopping companies and other services that use deceptive user interface designs in their apps and… Continue reading Consumer Privacy Protection Act could lead to fines for deceptive designs in apps and websites

Supreme Court unlikely to ‘break the internet’ over Google, Twitter cases – rather, it is approaching with caution

Michael W. Carroll, American University “These are not, like, the nine greatest experts on the internet,” noted Justice Elena Kagan – a reference to herself and fellow colleagues on the Supreme Court. Depsite this, the justices are being asked to negotiate complex arguments that could have wide implications for online providers and ultimately everyone who… Continue reading Supreme Court unlikely to ‘break the internet’ over Google, Twitter cases – rather, it is approaching with caution

Should the US ban TikTok? Can it? A cybersecurity expert explains the risks the app poses and the challenges to blocking it

Doug Jacobson, Iowa State University TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23, 2023, amid a chorus of calls from members of Congress for the federal government to ban the Chinese-owned video social media app and reports that the Biden administration is pushing for… Continue reading Should the US ban TikTok? Can it? A cybersecurity expert explains the risks the app poses and the challenges to blocking it

Children can be exposed to sexual predators online, so how can parents teach them to be safe?

Marika Guggisberg, CQUniversity Australia Many teenagers use mobile phones and social media almost constantly. And children are gaining access to these devices and platforms at increasingly younger ages. This is a challenge for parents who need to keep up with their children’s use, the evolution of devices, and how this changes how they have to… Continue reading Children can be exposed to sexual predators online, so how can parents teach them to be safe?