Technology
Best of The Interpreter 2019: Technology
The endless blessings of technology – where would we be without them? Not reading this page, for a start. Several decades into the so-called digital revolution (depending where…
Share, like, comment, attack: Social media as weapon and battlefield
The Australian Senate has appointed a select committee to inquire into the risks posed to Australian democracy by foreign interference via social media platforms such as Facebook…
As Facebook caves to Singapore censorship, the writing is on the wall
Observers have been waiting to see how Singapore’s Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (known more commonly as POFMA) would be applied since it was passed in…
The Nazi in your feed: Regulating social media and hate speech
In a widely praised and generally excellent speech last week, Sacha Baron Cohen, AKA Borat, AKA Ali G, launched a scathing attack on what he named as the “Silicon six” – six…
Beijing’s cryptic blockchain gambit
China is going berserk for blockchain these days, and doing so with oh-so-very Chinese characteristics.
The recent hype is certainly not without cause. After years of cautious…
Are free trade deals expanding a digital divide?
E-bills, e-signature, the electronic transfer of funds – advancements in technology are bringing about remarkable changes in the business landscape, domestically and…
Deep fakes could have real consequences for Southeast Asia
In Malaysia, a sex-tape scandal engulfing the country in recent months has threatened to destabilise the governing coalition. While the tape has been determined by the police to…
Battleground states: Twitter and Facebook ban Chinese-linked accounts
You will have seen the news, possibly on Facebook or Twitter. This week, Facebook and Twitter announced that they had addressed coordinated activity on each of their platforms…
All may not be smooth along China’s Digital Silk Road
Make no mistake about China’s vast and continuous trajectory of technological expansionism. Even as the US aims to ring-fence Huawei’s reach into the US and overseas…
Cyber threats go beyond hackers and scams but to democracy itself
The 2019 Lowy Poll found that 62% of Australians rank cyberattacks as a threat to Australia’s vital interests. This leaves cyberattacks second only to climate change as the threat…