Pakistani authorities have won another battle against free speech. The latest blow is just another consequence of harsh measures taken by Pakistan’s government in the last five years against freedom of speech. On March 27, the interior ministry announced that Facebook had removed 85% of “illegal, blasphemous” content found on its website. The estimated number […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Crushing the intellect: Pakistan’s war on free speech
Techniques of 19th-century fake news reporter teach us why we fall for it today
Donald Trump appears to have a straightforward definition of fake news: Stories that are critical of him or his presidency are “fake,” while those that praise him are “real.” On the surface, the logic doesn’t hold up. But at the same time, the way Trump thinks about fake news points to a key reason why […] … learn more→
Silent sufferings
Near the end of my PhD, my partner, an early career researcher, was being honoured by her professional society with a career award. We travelled interstate to a conference and to attend the fancy conference dinner together, where she was to deliver a short speech on stage in front of a couple hundred of her […] … learn more→
Climate change and poverty are as much of a threat as terrorism for many young people
It will probably come as little surprise that recent surveys have found the majority of adults in Europe think that international terrorism is the most pressing threat to the continent. Though this is valuable information about what adults think, little is known about what children and young people perceive as the greatest threats to life […] … learn more→
We asked young people what they want from the internet of the future – here’s what they said
When Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web, he surely didn’t anticipate that children would end up becoming some of its main users. Most start using the internet at the average age of three – and as recent research shows, children now spend more time playing and socialising online than watching television programmes. Given this […] … learn more→
Sexual equality in schools: how to make rights on paper a daily reality
Sexual minorities – people who identify as, among others, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer LGBTIQ+ – enjoy very few legal protection in Africa. In some countries, “homosexual acts” are criminalised and may even carry the death penalty. South Africa is the only country on the continent that has enshrined the rights of sexual […] … learn more→
Profitable ways to get rid of your old car
A car can seem like a fantastic investment, but you’ll often find that it depreciates quickly in value after you’ve purchased it. Depreciation can cause headaches for owners who are looking to upgrade. You don’t want to have bought a vehicle a few years ago, only to find out that you can’t get any money […] … learn more→
How online hate infiltrates social media and politics
In late February, the headline of a news commentary website that receives more than 2.8 million monthly visitors announced, “Jews Destroy Another One of Their Own Graveyards to Blame Trump.” The story, inspired by the recent desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia, was the seething fantasy of an anti-Semitic website known as the Daily […] … learn more→
‘I don’t want to be teased’ – why bullied children are reluctant to seek help from teachers
In Australia approximately one student in five is bullied at school every few weeks or more often. Many of these students suffer serious emotional and psychological harm, such as persistent anxiety, depression and suicidal thinking, and are unable to concentrate on their school work. It is clear they need help. Teachers routinely inform students that […] … learn more→
Did artificial intelligence deny you credit?
People who apply for a loan from a bank or credit card company, and are turned down, are owed an explanation of why that happened. It’s a good idea – because it can help teach people how to repair their damaged credit – and it’s a federal law, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Getting an […] … learn more→