— 6 min read — Reading the recent stories about the UK government wanting to invest to create UK tech champions reminds me of a conversation with a BT (British Telecom) executive some years back. This person had been with BT for many years and seen how they had not been able to capitalise on…
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— 12 min read — The heated debate going on in the US about postal voting prompts me to reflect more widely on voting mechanisms and the use of technology. This is not strictly speaking about the regulation of tech so much as about how tech can be used in a political context, which I…
Leave a Comment— 5 min read — The role of platforms in moderating content is a frequent topic of my posts, but it is important also to consider the ways in which people who use online services have a hand in moderating content. Some of this moderation activity is particular to each individual – we post content…
Leave a Comment— 9 min read — Summary:- journalists decide which voices should be allowed IN to a space while moderators decide which voices should be pushed OUT. Social media platforms are using both kinds of intervention though not necessarily describing them in these terms. This post explores the differences between the approaches and some of the relevant regulatory questions.
Leave a Comment— 10 min read — I shared some thoughts about how a UK misinformation regulator might work last week and received some useful feedback from people who think a lot about these things. This has prompted me to take a step back and explain in this post why I proposed this kind of body by…
Leave a Comment— 15 min read — Summary :- I explore how a new UK misinformation regulator might do its work. I consider the relationship with other existing regulatory frameworks. I look at some examples of Covid-19 misinformation. I describe a model of Misinformation Advisory Notices.
Leave a Comment— 13 min read — Summary :- I look at the ways in which online platforms might respond to pressures related to toxic political content. I consider variations of rules for discussing politics in pubs. I describe the business logic that may apply to specific platforms.
Leave a Comment— 3 min read — People sitting inside President Trump’s campaign right now must be laughing. If they produce something outrageous and push this out through their social media channels, then they seem always to be able to “win”. On a normal day, the content goes out to the audience of supporters they have built…
1 Comment— 18 min read — Summary :- I put questions about the regulation of online political ads into a framework of general election regulation. I urge caution in terms of unilateral moves by any party. I suggest how progress can be made but only through broad consultation and deliberation.
Leave a Comment— 9 min read — Summary:- I use the story of Scylla and Charybdis to describe the situation of platforms in respect of US political content. I share views on the political dynamics that are in play with the current US President. I propose more detailed policy ‘course-plotting’ as the best way forward.
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