Reclaiming the internet

Once a brave new frontier of individual expression, the internet is now dominated by a handful of massive tech oligopolies, scammers, intrusive advertising and AI generated spam, so is there any hope for its redemption?

Keeping track of new technology

The Australian Internet Observatory (AIO) is a major new research infrastructure initiative that will open up the ‘black box’ of digital platforms and their algorithms.

Now with added fibre

Internet connectivity is vital to the whole Indo-Pacific, and the Australian government sees investment in a more connected region as a means to foster both development and regional security.

Google it, mate

Google has become the most successful advertising company in history over the last 25 years, harvesting user data from free search and mapping services to target ads at users, but AI chatbots could overturn its business model, leaving Google as obsolete as the search engines it replaced during its heyday.

The endangered species of the internet

New research shows that a small number of organisations account for an ever-increasing proportion of total attention on the internet, with one large player usually dominating in each sector.

Web Planet

The internet, once seen as liberating free expression, has increasingly become a tool of authoritarian repression, but new distributed technology could put it back in the hands of the people.

The internet v COVID-19

With a much greater number of us schooling, working and streaming from home during the COVID-19 crisis, what are the risks to our internet during the pandemic?

Putin and Xi plot an oppressive digital future

China and Russia are very different nations in many ways, but both are ruled by authoritarian regimes determined to assert themselves on the international stage while crushing political dissent at home and both use the internet to achieve their goals.

The internet is changing our brains

The Internet can change people’s cognition in both immediate and sustained ways, affecting our attention, memory, and social interactions according to an international team of researchers.

Australia needs stronger DNS protection against online fraud

It’s time for government agencies to take the lead to advocate, support and encourage adoption of secure internet standards in Australia.

The internet is now an arena for conflict, and we’re all caught up in it

Most people think the internet operates as a kind of global public square. In reality, it’s become a divided arena where conflict between nation states plays out.

In fighting online interference, the first line of defence is the mind

The internet and social media give authoritarian nations a lever to pull in democracy’s debates through intermediaries who guide opinions in their interest or undermine the legitimacy of democracy itself.