Frances Haugen came to the world’s attention in 2021 as a whistle-blower, after filing a series of complaints about Facebook (now Meta) with the U.S. Federal Government about the harms caused by their business practices. She now works to champion accountability, transparency, and driving social media for the common good. In this new episode of Tech Mirror, TPDC Director Professor Johanna Weaver and Frances Haugen cover a lot of ground discussing topics including: - the importance of whistle-blower protections - recognising linguistic diversity in online safety - the power of collective action ..read more

We’re excited to announce that the Tech Mirror Podcast will be returning to its regular scheduling very soon - we’re cooking up a great season with an all-star line-up of guests, so stay tuned! In the interim, here’s a quick update on what TPDC has been doing for the past few months. In particular, we’re especially excited to tell you about our brand new education program aimed at upskilling existing tech policy professionals and establishing a career pathway into the field. As part of the program’s co-design process, we’re asking you, our listeners, for your input. Whether you’re an expert in ..read more

This is a special episode of Tech Mirror on the imperative to protect civilians from digital threats during war. Johanna is in conversation with Dr. Cordula Droege, Chief Legal Officer and Head of the legal division of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Dr. Tilman Rodenhäuser, Thematic Legal Adviser at the ICRC.   The trio discuss the work of a high-level ICRC Advisory Board, which was convened by the ICRC to develop concrete recommendations on the legal and policy challenges to protect civilians from digital threats during armed conflict. The trio also discuss the i ..read more

Curious about the future of privacy in Australia? Join us as we delve into the world of privacy regulation in Australia. Our expert panel shares their thoughts on the Government’s response to the Privacy Act Review Report.  It’s a follow-up to episode #22 ‘Privacy is Not Dead’. Returning guest Anna Johnston, founder and Principal of Salinger Privacy, is joined by Ryan Black, Head of Policy for the Tech Council of Australia, and Kate Bower, a fellow at the UTS Human Technology Institute, currently on sabbatical from CHOICE as Consumer Data Advocate.     The panel discuss:&nb ..read more

Ever wish you could sit down with a real-deal AI technologist and ask them what’s on earth is going on? In this double-episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna chats with Bill Simpson Young and Tiberio Cataneo, CEO and Chief Scientist at Gradient Institute. This independent, non-profit research institute works to build safety, ethics, accountability and transparency into AI systems.   In Part One of this wide-ranging conversation, the trio: -          define key terms like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Large Language Models, Frontier v ..read more

Ever wish you could sit down with a real-deal AI technologist and ask them what’s on earth is going on? In this double-episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna chats with Bill Simpson Young and Tiberio Cataneo, CEO and Chief Scientist at Gradient Institute. This independent, non-profit research institute works to build safety, ethics, accountability and transparency into AI systems.   In Part One of this wide-ranging conversation, the trio: -          define key terms like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Large Language Models, Frontier v ..read more

In this joint episode of Tech Mirror and the National Security Podcast, Anu Bradford and Johanna Weaver join Jennifer Jackett to discuss the global impact of technological advances, the challenges and opportunities they bring, and the evolving landscape of tech regulation.   Anu Bradford is a Henry L. Moses Professor of Law and International Organization at the Columbia Law School. She is also the author of ‘Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology’.    Jennifer Jackett is a Sir Roland Wilson Scholar at the ANU National Security College.   Professor Johanna ..read more

Johanna speaks with Alice Dawkins, Executive Director of Reset.Tech Australia, an independent, non-partisan policy initiative wrestling with questions about online harms & safety, digital information markets, democracy and tech accountability.  In a wide-ranging conversation, the pair discuss topics including: Alice’s experience in Myanmar working with public interest lawyers involved in that country’s pro-democracy movement Reset’s research on young people and privacy online in Australia  Social media platform monitoring during the Voice referendum campaign Truth in politi ..read more

In the fourth episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna is joined by Justin Warren, Chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia. The pair discuss live issues in tech policy design, from bizarre Internet advertising to privacy and surveillance, to protecting liberal democracy. Justin walks through why we didn’t have to build our Internet and tech systems the way we did, and how we can design something better. This episode was produced by Jack Fox. Ben Gowdie provided invaluable research support. Send us your questions: techpolicydeisgncentre@anu.edu.au Follow us on Twitter: @TPDesignCentre Relevant Link ..read more

In the inaugural episode, Johanna Weaver, Director of the Tech Policy Design Centre at ANU, sits down with The Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts.  The pair discuss measures the Australian government has implemented ranging from online trolling and adult cyberbullying to encryption, the Media Bargaining Code, and knowledge gaps in the tech policymaking space. This episode was produced by Anna Davies. Tanvi Nair and Amy Denmede provided invaluable research support, and Ben Gowdie production support only an avid podcast listener can ..read more