A social media ban is not the way to protect children online
Tragedies make for bad policy recommendations, and the murder of the teenager Brianna Ghey is no different. Last week Ghey’s murderers, who were both 15 when they stabbed Ghey to death in Cheshire...
View ArticleClosing the digital divide, opening up opportunities
By the time they turn three, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are on average nine months behind children from wealthier backgrounds. Unfortunately, this trend continues throughout their...
View ArticleOfcom has quietly taken advantage of Brexit
In a little-noticed statement, Ofcom updated its approach to net neutrality regulation last year. This is an interesting tale of a regulator taking advantage of Brexit freedoms, even when the...
View ArticleBe careful this Valentine’s Day, someone might be watching
It’s Valentine’s Day, and a man wakes up to a text saying ‘I love you’, followed by a joke that only his partner would know. Half an hour later, his phone buzzes and lights up with a selfie of her. He...
View ArticleWeekly Briefing: The deepfake debacle
This year will be defined by elections. Elections in the US, India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Germany, the UK, Spain, South Korea, and many other democracies around the world – involving...
View ArticleThe Princess of Wales and the age of disinformation
‘Nature abhors a vacuum’ may be an entry level scientific theory, but it is one that communications professionals should bear in mind at all times. And it is one the Royals have proved to be...
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How news organisations decide whether a photo is ‘too edited’
In the era of artificial intelligence and accessible photo editing, you can’t believe everything you see online. One exception, of course, is (usually) if it’s published by a reputable news source. The...
View ArticleTime is ticking by for TikTok
Earlier this week, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that, if passed into law, would effectively ban TikTok in the United States. Concern about the popular social media platform’s links to...
View ArticleWeekly Briefing: Honeytrap policy
Another week, another political embarrassment. This episode of humiliation involved what those in the know call a ‘honeytrap’, where a number of MPs, parliamentary staffers and journalists received...
View ArticleWeekly Briefing: Are phones really frying kids’ brains?
Not content with passing one of the most restrictive pieces of internet legislation in the Western world, the Government is now rumoured to be considering a ban on under-16s buying mobile phones. The...
View ArticleThe world is fast-paced – but government is slow off the mark
A genie offers you three wishes. What do you do? World peace, end poverty, end climate change, infinite wealth, true love, fix the housing crisis. The possible answers and urgent problems are endless....
View ArticleIt’s time to rein in our tech regulators
The UK once led the world in a civilisation-changing Industrial Revolution. Today, the country is in the midst of relative economic stagnation characterised by poor economic growth, stunted GDP per...
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The deepfake general election
We are in the midst of the UK’s first deepfake general election. Although only a few weeks old, you may have already seen a number of deepfakes (realistic video and audio content generated via deep...
View ArticleBad rules are jeopardising Britain’s AI revolution
Unlocking investment and driving economic growth are two of the key missions of Keir Starmer’s new government. Yet for artificial intelligence – one of the UK’s highest growth industries – investments...
View ArticleParanoid politicians could destroy online satire
Should making fun of politicians be illegal? According to some legislators, it should be. Elon Musk recently shared a video featuring the voice of presumptive US Democratic presidential candidate and...
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