Australians are more concerned about their online privacy than they were five years ago. And it seems that Australians continue to experience the privacy risks that may travel with new technology; with around one-in-four regretting social media activity and a similar percentage knowing a victim of identity theft.

Recent shifts in the media ecosystem raise new concerns about the vulnerability of democratic societies to fake news and the public’s limited ability to contain it. Fake news as a form of misinformation benefits from the fast pace that information travels in today’s media ecosystem, in particular across social media platforms. An abundance of information...

The notion of personal privacy in a digital society may be out of date. While many of us say we still want it, we willingly share our data – and dislike paying to protect it. Governments and online businesses covet our personal information. Meanwhile, almost nobody reads the terms and conditions; we merely trust that...

Overview This Discussion Paper looks at the shifting media landscapes in four Melanesian countries in 2015 — Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. It charts and links the key developments, and considers their potentially wide-ranging impacts on policy, politics, free speech and good governance. Of the many profound and rapid changes experienced in...

Many experts fear uncivil and manipulative behaviors on the internet will persist – and may get worse. This will lead to a splintering of social media into AI-patrolled and regulated ‘safe spaces’ separated from free-for-all zones. Some worry this will hurt the open exchange of ideas and compromise privacy. The internet supports a global ecosystem...