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Rob Nicholls

Rob Nicholls

The Conversation

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Companies that get hacked face stricter laws than firms unleashing rogue AI. We can fix that

Just as car makers have to report and pay to fix faulty airbags, AI companies should be legally responsible for their faulty products.

16.10.2026 20

The Conversation

Rob Nicholls

'Censorship' and social media algorithms explained

The headline feature of the federal government’s exposure draft of its long-promised digital duty of care is an “off switch”. Social media...

10.09.2026 50

The New Daily

Rob Nicholls

Australians may soon be able to switch off social media algorithms. Is that censorship?

The government’s proposed digital duty of care includes a mechanism for people to opt out of social media algorithms.

09.09.2026 30

The Conversation

Rob Nicholls

Australia is eyeing a world‑first ‘fair and reasonable’ test for data collection and privacy

New rules on what companies can do with personal information include tighter consent requirements, a ‘right to be forgotten’, and a simple test...

01.09.2026 50

The Conversation

Rob Nicholls

How Meta's US legal deal could reshape social media for teens

Tech giant Meta will pay up to roughly US$18 billion, plus make major design changes to Facebook and Instagram, as part of a settlement it has agreed...

28.08.2026 60

The Examiner

Rob Nicholls

How Meta's US legal deal could reshape social media for teens

Tech giant Meta will pay up to roughly US$18 billion, plus make major design changes to Facebook and Instagram, as part of a settlement it has agreed...

28.08.2026 50

Canberra Times

Rob Nicholls

Meta settles landmark US lawsuit for nearly $18bn and agrees to change Facebook and Instagram

Major changes for TikTok and YouTube could be about to follow.

27.08.2026 40

The Conversation

Rob Nicholls

29 US states are suing Meta. What might it mean for the rest of the world?

A loss for Meta may force it to redesign Facebook and Instagram – and not just for US users.

21.08.2026 50

The Conversation

Rob Nicholls

Elon Musk vs Sam Altman: how the legal battle of the tech billionaires could shape the future of AI

The case crystallises a wider public anxiety: an incredibly powerful technology is being built and controlled by a tiny number of feuding tech bros.

29.04.2026 70

The Conversation

Rob Nicholls

Social media ruled addictive by US jury

A landmark US verdict finds Instagram and YouTube’s design features addictive – opening the door to a wave of legal action against big tech....

27.03.2026 60

Pearls and Irritations

Rob Nicholls

Addictive by design: has the 'big tobacco' moment arrived for social media?

Social media platforms Instagram and YouTube have a design defect which means they are addictive, a jury in the United States has ruled. Subscribe now...

27.03.2026 50

The Examiner

Rob Nicholls

Addictive by design: has the 'big tobacco' moment arrived for social media?

Social media platforms Instagram and YouTube have a design defect which means they are addictive, a jury in the United States has ruled. Subscribe now...

27.03.2026 60

Canberra Times

Rob Nicholls

Meta and Google just lost a landmark social media addiction case. A tech law expert explains the fallout

The case was the first of its kind. But it won’t be the last.

26.03.2026 80

The Conversation

Rob Nicholls

How exactly would a Triple Zero custodian help prevent a repeat of the fatal Optus outage?

There is no certainty a custodian would have prevented all of the risks from the Optus outage last week. But it might have helped.

24.09.2025 50

The Conversation

Rob Nicholls

Google just dodged a major penalty in the courts – here’s what happens next

Google won’t have to sell Chrome. But the ruling could still have a significant impact on the tech giant – and the entire internet.

03.09.2025 50

The Conversation

Rob Nicholls