Advocates of online child protection and freedom of expression share a deep-seated belief in the importance of protecting basic human rights. Yet these beliefs are often clouded by perceived (and real) opposition in the actual practice of law, policy, and regulation. This has restricted the policy options available for dealing with threats to both child...

After years of collective indecision, Britain shifted to become a full participant in an increasingly networked world. This paper compares Britain with other European nations and the wider world in its adoption and use of the internet. After years of collective indecision, Britain shifted to become a full participant in an increasingly networked world; supporting...

Technological forms of exclusion are a reality for significant segments of the UK population and can reinforce and deepen existing disadvantages, according to this report. It offers policy recommendations and describes ways in which digital inclusion research can be improved. This study was commissioned to investigate the extent to which social exclusion and digital exclusion...

The Internet has become an important means of managing the relationships that we have with others in our everyday lives. A recent survey conducted by the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) (University of Oxford), has drawn on a representative sample of over two thousand married Internet users to understand the role played by the Internet in...

Artificial companions are typically intelligent cognitive 'agents', implemented in software or a physical embodiment such as a robot. This paper is a summary of a forum on Artificial Companions in Society held in October 2007. Artificial companions (ACs) are typically intelligent cognitive 'agents', implemented in software or a physical embodiment such as a robot. They...