Archive
Category: Intermediaries
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Facebook and the 2011 London riots
Be careful what you write. In R v Blackshaw [2011] EWCA Crim 2312, Lord Judge CJ offers this blunt description of the role played by “modern technology” (principally Facebook, Blackberry’s BBM protocol, Twitter and SMS messaging) in the recent London riots. Rejecting the appellants’ argument that incitement via Facebook was a less serious offence because… Read more →
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High Court of Australia grants leave to appeal iiNet ruling
Today the High Court of Australia granted leave to appeal against the decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia in Roadshow Films Pty Ltd v iiNet Ltd. I haven’t been able to uncover a copy of the transcript or a list of the grounds of appeal, but the appellants are likely… Read more →
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WikiLeaks roundup: a selection of the best analysis
The WikiLeaks controversy continues to capture headlines and provoke vitriol from governments around the world. Most reactions, however, have been surprisingly unsophisticated. Commentators repeatedly conflate WikiLeaks the platform with its spokesperson, Julian Assange (who is, whatever your opinion of the man, largely irrelevant), assume the platform’s actions are unlawful (probably not — and this is… Read more →
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Google bookstore: closed platform or platform innovator?
Has openness become a mere buzzword? I’m not arguing that “openness” is a bad thing in the tech business. What I’m saying is that it is not an unmitigated virtue, and it’s not necessarily the first thing people should care about when they’re shopping for a product. I’m glad that Google has introduced its new… Read more →
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British ISPs to face regulatory scrutiny over internet pornography
Representatives of Her Majesty’s government will meet with ISPs and lobbyists to discuss whether, and how, access to internet pornography should be controlled. The meeting comes days after Tory backbencher Claire Perry said the availability of such materials is like ‘a fire is burning out of control’. The Member wants mandatory access controls on 18+… Read more →
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Ed Vaizey clarifies UK government’s position on net neutrality
The recent controversy about Ed Vaizey’s purported abandonment of network neutrality was probably overhyped. In Parliament today, Andrew Smith (Labour MP, Oxford East) asked the following question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to ensure that internet service providers do not discriminate against… Read more →
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The blocking barb in today’s Pirate Bay appeal
As has been widely reported, the three co-founders of file-sharing website The Pirate Bay have lost their appeal before the Stockholm Court of Appeal against criminal convictions imposed in April 2009. The Court upheld the trio’s convictions for contributory copyright infringement and increased the collective financial sanctions from $2m to 46 million kroner (USD$6.5m), largely… Read more →
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Bankers as intermediaries and the tension between regulation and profit
Financial services intermediaries are trend followers and bubble surfers, says a thought-provoking article in this week’s New Yorker magazine: One is the role of financial intermediaries, such as banks. Rather than seeking the most productive outlet for the money that depositors and investors entrust to them, they may follow trends and surf bubbles. These activities… Read more →
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Network neutrality and non-discrimination
Ed Vaizey, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, has made comments in a speech which suggest that he favours abandonment of the neutrality (non-discrimination) principle in internet traffic management. The comments have triggered a strong reaction from commentators. It is worth setting out the Minister’s remarks in full: “The issues here are… Read more →
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Romantic intermediaries and algorithmic normativity
Unsurprisingly, it turns out that online dating websites make algorithmic choices that strongly influence (and are tailored to) their users’ behaviour. But are they better? I asked Yagan whether OkCupid might try tailoring its algorithm to surface more statistically successful racial combinations. Such a measure wasn’t out of the question, he said. “Imagine we did… Read more →