This publication documents a timeline of major events over the course of Facebook’s history that demonstrate the unprecedented power the platform wields over politics and information systems globally. The authors argue that Australia remains vulnerable to mis- and disinformation, and does not have effective safeguards to shield the upcoming federal election from Facebook’s influence.

Independent federal MP Zali Steggall claimed that, in contrast to consumer law, it was “perfectly legal” to lie in Australian political advertising. Experts told Fact Check there were no catch-all federal laws to prevent lies in political ads, though they said existing laws might apply in narrow circumstances. Verdict: Ms Steggall's claim is close to...

The approach recommended in this report will need to be regularly reviewed to ensure that it is effective and appropriate. Government funding for research into the impact of social media on elections would assist future policy reviews, as would several of the transparency measures recommended in this report.

In this paper, UK historian Simon Heffer argues that much of the power of identity politics is to make normally rational people who consider themselves part of an oppressor majority behave in an irrational and self-hating way.

The rise of both left-wing and right-wing populism presents a serious challenge for liberal democracies. This paper explores the psychological needs that populism exploits, and the reasons it so easily attracts followers.