Policy engagement

18 December 2024

To Parliamentary Standing Committee: IUBL Submission in response to Call for Evidence: Social media, misinformation, and harmful algorithms

Written evidence submitted by the Internet User Behaviour Lab (SMH0058) on Social media, misinformation, and harmful algorithms:

Preview: This submission addresses the committee's concern about how social media companies' business models enable the spreading of harmful online content. We focus on why online social network echo chambers are a problem that can have real-world harm, with algorithmic recommendations contributing to polarisation and social fragmentation….

22 November 2024

To Australian Senate: Submission in response to the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024

Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 [Provisions] Submission 113 - Internet User Behaviour Lab Submission:

Preview: The submission proposes ways forward to enhance human algorithmic capabilities to improve the Online Safety of young people to make informed decisions through improving insight into the complexity of algorithmic systems, which can help us create healthy dissonances that tackle bias and discriminatory algorithmic programming. Algorithmic Literacy aims to uphold a potential agency to recognise, reason, respond, and retain constructively to discussions shaping our online and offline worlds.

28 April 2025

To UNESCO: AI and the Future of Education - Call for think pieces Re: Capability Approach to Algorithmic Literacy to shape the future of education in AI

UNESCO: AI and the Future of Education: Shaping the future of education about AI: a Capability Approach to Algorithmic Literacy

This article positions Algorithmic Literacy as a cornerstone of future-oriented education systems, giving those who develop literacy in it the ability to reduce the power imbalance between themselves and massive technology companies. This right, rooted in the Capabilities Approach, should be recognized as essential to freedom and informed participation in the digital age.