Opinion

Opinion

Social media technology

• Why Facebook’s Libra digital currency could run rings round the regulators

  Facebook’s cryptocurrency isn’t really a cryptocurrency, nor is it really a money transfer network, but it’s been formulated in such a way that regulators might not be able to do anything to stop it  Continue Reading

• What are the options for regulating internet companies?

  The UK – and other countries – are likely to introduce new regulations for internet and tech companies like Facebook and Google. We consider what sort of rules they might introduce  Continue Reading

• Facebook’s high-stakes privacy gamble goes to Dublin court

  A high-wire gamble with billions in compensation at stake for European internet users – part of a complex case between Facebook and the Irish information commissioner – hides challenge to the unlawfulness of US state internet surveillance  Continue Reading

• Capitalism too short-termist? The tech sector suggests otherwise

  Many observers criticise businesses and stock markets for being too short-termist – but if that was the case, how did Amazon, Uber and their ilk ever come into existence?  Continue Reading

• Smart cities face challenges and opportunities

  IHS Markit analysts Noman Akhtar and Kevin Hasley assess the way forward for smart city technology projects around the world  Continue Reading

• Ethics and tech – a double-edged sword

  Just because a business activity is legal doesn’t mean it will be acceptable to customers, as the ethical debates in tech are proving  Continue Reading

• Hacking the internet of things just got easier – it’s time to look at your security

  Are you taking security for internet-connected devices seriously enough?  Continue Reading

• If we're measuring GDP wrong in a digital world, what does that say about the economy?

  Conventional measures of economic success such as GDP fail to account for the nature of free digital services. How different would the UK economy appear if that changed?  Continue Reading

• Who do you trust to censor social media?

  Calls to censor Facebook and its rivals are growing – but society needs to consider carefully the motivations of those making such demands  Continue Reading

• Taxing tech giants on revenue only ends up with us customers paying more

  EU proposals to tax internet companies based on sales in each country fail to apply the tax burden on the right people  Continue Reading

• Safer Internet Day: Building online safety practices with young people

  Many organisations around the UK are contributing to the important work on making the internet a safer place for everyone  Continue Reading

• How to boost your personal brand as an IT professional

  Seven steps to help you build a personal brand in the workplace, articulate the value you provide and build your professional reputation  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Ensure incident response in the face of inevitable messaging leaks

  What criteria should organisations use to assess the security of smartphone messaging apps and how can they ensure only approved apps are used by employees?  Continue Reading

• There are no economic reasons to regulate the US tech giants

  The likes of Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft may dominate their markets, but the economic argument to regulate them is weak  Continue Reading

• Max Schrems’s mass surveillance complaint knocked back another year or two by Irish judge

  Irish data protection commissioner Helen Dixon has neatly avoided having to deal with the US surveillance of Facebook users in Europe by referring a complaint by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems to the European Court of Justice  Continue Reading