| 2020 | New Zealand launches government algorithm standards | |  |
| Article includes comment on the Government Algorithm Standards by Professor Colin Gavaghan, Principal Investigator on the Artificial Intelligence and the Law in NZ Project based at Otago University Law Faculty. | |
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Global Government Forum, Mia Hunt | | 5th August 2020 |
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| 2020 | The Innovators: Wayne Rumbles, Associate Professor, University of Waikato | | |
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| 2020 | Powers to order decryption may need more safeguards | | |
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| 2019 | VUW Law Alumni Magazine 2019: Facing up to the challenges of technology | | |
| Summary:
Principal Investigator Nessa Lynch says facial recognition technology itself isn't inherently sinister - but we need to make sure it is properly regulated as it becomes increasingly commonplace in NZ. Nessa notes that there is currently no regulation in NZ that directly names or specifies FRT.
"Obviously the technology has immense value in promoting societal interests such as efficiency and security, but it also represents a threat to some of our individual interests, particular privacy and freedom from discrimination," she says.
As the project evolves, Nessa and her team will work with sector stakeholders including the NZ Police, Immigration, Customs and security agencies to identify the key threats and opportunities that may arise from the use of FRT in NZ. To sum up the journey ahead, Nessa refers to a quote from the Bridges decision in the Welsh High Court: 'The algorithms of the law must keep pace with new and emerging technologies.'
Note: Only hard copies of this piece is available. | | | 18th December 2019 |
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| 2019 | Newsroom Ideasroom: When facial recognition goes wrong | | |
| A panel discussion involving international facial recognition technology experts were at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington as part of a Law Foundation-supported research project. The project is led by Associate Professor Nessa Lynch from the Faculty of Law and examines how facial recognition technology is currently used or may be used in New Zealand, as well as the rights and interests that might be affected. "Obviously, the technology has immense value in promoting societal interests such as efficiency and security but it also represents a threat to some of our individual interests, particularly privacy," said Lynch introducing the panel. | | | 17th December 2019 |
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| 2019 | RNZ: Private information at risk from laws allowing access encrypted data | | |
| A study by University of Waikato researchers has found laws which allow governments to access companies' encrypted data are putting private information at risk. | | | 15th December 2019 |
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| 2019 | Scoop: Government's power to order decryption must respect privacy | | |
| The power of government to order users and companies to decrypt encrypted data and devices needs stronger privacy protections and additional safeguards, according to a study published by researchers at the University of Waikato. | | | 12th December 2019 |
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| 2019 | Scimex: How do we balance information security and privacy with the law? | | |
| The power of government to order users and companies to decrypt encrypted data and devices needs stronger privacy protections and additional safeguards, according to a Law Foundation-funded report published by researchers at the University of Waikato. The researchers recommend that persons suspected or charged with a crime should not be forced to disclose their passwords, and companies, in assisting the police, should not be required to compromise the privacy of their clients as a whole. | | | 12th December 2019 |
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| 2019 | NBR: Don't compel businesses to weaken encryption, Waikato Uni says | | |
| There is no such thing as creating a back door for law enforcement only, says a Law Foundation-funded study carried out by Waikato University researchers. | | | 12th December 2019 |
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| 2019 | No Right Turn: Encryption, passwords, and self-incrimination | | |
| New Zealand law takes a broad view of self-incrimination, defining it as anything "reasonably likely to lead to, or increase the likelihood of, the prosecution of a person for a criminal offence". But if the police want to access your data because they think there is evidence there that you have committed a crime, then by definition assisting them increases your likelihood of prosecution and is self-incriminating. Unfortunately, the law as written does not include sufficient guidance to protect this right; there's a generalised right in the Evidence Act, but insufficient protections in the search clauses themselves. Which in turn effectively allows the government to force people to incriminate themselves, in contravention of legal norms and international human rights standards. As a result,
"[t]he researchers recommend that the right or privilege against self-incrimination should be more strongly recognised in computer searches, and that persons suspected or charged with a crime should not be forced to disclose their passwords. While providers have a responsibility to assist the police in search or surveillance operations if it is within their existing technical capabilities, such assistance should not involve any act that would undermine the information security of their products and services or compromise the privacy of their clients as a whole." | | | 12th December 2019 |
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| 2019 | Voxy: Government's power to order decryption must respect privacy | | |
| The power of government to order users and companies to decrypt encrypted data and devices needs stronger privacy protections and additional safeguards, according to a study published by researchers at the University of Waikato. | | | 12th December 2019 |
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| 2019 | Stuart Corner at Computerworld: Government encryption-busting powers should be curbed, study says | | |
| A new study authored by University of Waikato researchers, and funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation’s Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP), has called for additional safeguards to curb the powers of government to order users and companies to decrypt encrypted data and devices.
According to principal investigator Dr Michael Dizon, the problem with these powers is that there are no express standards and guidelines with respect to how they are carried out, especially in relation to human rights. | | | 12th December 2019 |
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| 2019 | Craig Stephen at LawTalk: There's no reason why you can't bring justice closer to the people | | |
| Lord Thomas, the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, was in New Zealand recently as the Law Foundation's 2019 Distinguished Visiting Fellow. He spent time during September and October at all six law schools talking about "The digital revolution and the law".
Lord Thomas addressed the impact the digital revolution will have on legal education, in particular what needs to be done to help the present legal profession to adapt. | | | 1st November 2019 |
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| 2019 | Legal technology project to transform legal education in NZ | | |
| The Technology in Legal Education for New Zealand (TeLENZ) Project aims to equip future lawyers with the skills to handle the changes technology is creating in legal practice.
TeLENZ, funded by a two-year $350,000 grant from the New Zealand Law Foundation, involves all law faculties/schools in the country and is led by the Dean of Law at the University of Waikato, Associate Professor Wayne Rumbles. | | | 24th October 2019 |
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| 2019 | Ian Hall at Global Government Forum - UK regulators: machine learning deployments set to double in financial services | | |
| Research by the UK's Bank of England (BoE) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that financial services businesses in the UK are fast deploying machine learning (ML) technology to tackle money laundering and fraud.
In a piece about that report, the research calling for the creation of a regulatory body to oversee the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by the NZ Government that was carried out by grantees for the NZ Law Foundation Information Law and Policy Project has been mentioned.
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| 2019 | VUW Law School: Expert panel on automatic facial recognition technology - legal and ethical issues | | |
| The use of automated facial recognition technology (FRT) is becoming commonplace globally and in New Zealand.
In April 2019, the NZ Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP) awarded a grant to Nessa Lynch to carry out research on Facial Recognition Technology.
Nessa convened an expert panel of overseas collaborators on 17 October 2019 to deliver a series of presentations to the public that provided international context to these issues and to discuss the implications for New Zealand.
The recording of the expert panel can be viewed at https://youtu.be/fnHEKDvBTJs or please click at the link further below. | | | 17th October 2019 |
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| 2019 | PrivacyLive: Artificial intelligence and its use in Government | | |
| The speaker, Rachel Dixon, is the Privacy and Data Protection Deputy Commissioner at the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner.
In this presentation, Rachel discusses the different kinds of AI, how they work in practice, and the conditions necessary for AI to deliver promised benefits without unintentional side effects. She also discusses some of the ethics frameworks and governance mechanisms proposed around the world and assesses the pros and cons of each.
Rachel Dixon's visit to Wellington for this PrivacyLive forum on 16 October 2019 was made possible by the New Zealand Law Foundation as part of the grant awarded to Nessa Lynch for her ILAPP-funded Facial Recognition Technology study. | | | 16th October 2019 |
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| 2019 | Joel MacManus on Stuff: Why a pastor who abused children served half as much prison time as a low-level cannabis dealer | | |
| There's a tendency to think that algorithms are a way to eliminate bias. But Otago University law professor and artificial intelligence expert Colin Gavaghan says that's a misconception.
"We might wonder 'how can a computer be biased or prejudiced?' In a sense, a computer can't. But it's only as good as the information that's fed into it, and if that info is tainted by historical bias, that's going to be baked into the new system," Gavaghan said.
Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan was an author on a recent New Zealand Law Foundation report on artificial intelligence. | | | 13th August 2019 |
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| 2019 | Katie Kenny at Stuff: The fine line between Facebook fun and undermining democracy | | |
| Curtis Barnes and Tom Barraclough, co-directors of research company Brainbox Limited, recently published a Law Foundation-backed study on the subject. Called Perception Inception: Preparing for deepfakes and the synthetic media of tomorrow, the study found we're speeding toward a time when 'everyday people' can create and share more and better manipulated audiovisual information from their smartphones.
However, they weren't convinced enacting substantial new law is either necessary or the best way to address potential harms. "We also identify a risk that where new law goes beyond existing law, it may abrogate rights of freedom of expression. Synthetic media is a means of expression like many others." | | | 30th July 2019 |
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| 2019 | RadioNZ Nine to Noon (Kathryn Ryan interviews Curtis Barnes) - DeepNude app: Is the genie out of the bottle? | | |
| The DeepNude app used artificial intelligence to create realistic-looking nude photos of women - and it was only women, it wasn't designed to work on men. The developer pulled the plug on it after media attention, but not before it had been downloaded, shared and copied. What can be done to protect women from the risks of synthetic media? | | | 22nd July 2019 |
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| 2019 | Cath Gilmour at Crux: Social media giants could disrupt NZ elections | | |
| We've been aware for some time of the formidable power held by the world's social media giants like Facebook and Google. Last night the University of Otago held a high powered symposium in Queenstown to examine just how much power they have and what the effects on New Zealand will be. Cath Gilmour, a former QLDC councillor and co-chair of the Catalyst Trust, has written this report on the key points from the OU symposium.
Researchers who received the Law Foundation's ILAPP grants, Marianne Elliott and Tom Barraclough, were key speakers at the symposium. | | | 5th July 2019 |
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| 2019 | Chris Keall at NZ Herald: NZ expert sounds warning after DeepNude app goes viral | | |
| The latest in "deep fake" technology is DeepNude - an app that uses AI to transform an image of a clothed woman into a realistic rendering of what she might look like naked.
DeepNude surged in popularity after being covered by Vice last week, swamping its anonymous creator's servers. It was soon offline, but not before a claimed half-million downloads. | | | 3rd July 2019 |
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| 2019 | Chris Keall at NZ Herald: Artist tests Facebook's mettle with deep-fake video of Mark Zuckerberg | | |
| A NZ Law Foundation-funded study released on May 21 highlights the risk of "deep fakes" on social media - which co-author Tom Barraclough said are increasingly sophisticated.
But Barraclough and his co-author Curtis Barnes also warned about knee-jerk reactions to the phenomenon.
Specific legislation targeting deep fakes, such as the Malicious Deep Fake Prohibition Act introduced to the US Senate last year, risks violating human rights, Barraclough told the Herald.
He argued NZ already has multiple laws and guidelines that already cater to the risk - primarily the Crimes Act, which covers when deception is used for gain, the Harmful Digital Communications Act, which covers when it's used for malice and the Privacy Act because "the wrong personal information is still personal information".
Barraclough said most of the time, "deep fake" technology is used by playfully, or as satire. | | | 12th June 2019 |
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| 2019 | Brittney Deguara at Stuff: Has an elf or alien been caught on film or is this just another hoax | | |
| Deepfakes are quite concerning and allow the use existing audio and video to create high-quality representations of things that never happened.
A report conducted by Curtis Barnes and Tom Barraclough - backed by The Law Foundation - explained: deepfakes are being commercialised, but many Kiwis are yet to encounter them. | | | 11th June 2019 |
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| 2019 | Mike Houlahan at ODT: Talking tech, cheese rolls and scones | | |
| The University of Otago's New Zealand Law Foundation Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies and allied researchers have recently produced two reports which explore dimensions of computer usage and politics far in advance of searching a website and striking it lucky.
The most recent, Government Use Of Artificial Intelligence in New Zealand, featured an Otago team delving into the complex and evolving world of algorithmic data analysis and public policy.
The other report, by Otago graduates Curtis Barnes and Tom Barraclough, explored the issue of synthetic media - or fake media, if you prefer.
This one does sound more science fiction - the issue ranges from minor digital editing to the creation of entire video clips which look authentic but are instead created from scratch. | | | 8th June 2019 |
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| 2019 | Natalie Leal at Global Government Forum: New report calls for New Zealand AI watchdog | | |
| A new report has called for the creation of a regulatory body to oversee the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by the New Zealand government.
Researchers from the University of Otago who worked on the Law Foundation's 'Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project' argue that a watchdog is required to protect the public from risks such as bias in the operation of predictive algorithms deployed by the government. | | | 4th June 2019 |
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| 2019 | Geoff Maslen at University World News: Independent watchdog key to monitor artificial intelligence | | |
| Nations that increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) devices to assist in decision-making should act immediately and adopt 'an independent watchdog' to monitor them for possible risks to the public, according to two senior academics in New Zealand.
John Zerilli and Colin Gavaghan have called on their government to establish an independent regulator to monitor "and address the risks associated with these digital technologies".
"To protect us from the risks of advanced artificial intelligence, we need to act now," say the two Otago University academics. | | | 1st June 2019 |
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| 2019 | NZ Law Society: Regulation of government AI algorithms needed, says report | | |
| Regulatory measures are needed to guard against the dangers of government algorithm use, a report from the University of Otago's Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project says.
The report, Government use of artificial intelligence in New Zealand, was funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation. | | | 30th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | University of Auckland - Visit by LRF Visiting Scholar Anne SY Cheung | | |
| How do we ensure the data privacy protection of our digital selves? Or strike a balance between reputation and freedom of expression? Professor Anne S.Y. Cheung addresses these questions and others in her lectures this month. | | | 30th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | John Gibb at ODT - Report warns of AI use by Government | | |
| Simply including a human ''in the loop'' will not fully counter the dangers of using Artificial Intelligence algorithms in government decision-making, Dunedin researchers warn.
A New Zealand Law Foundation-funded report, released yesterday, found that establishing a regulator and developing guidelines were also needed to avoid the risks of government AI use, including use of predictive algorithms.
The report also warns against ''regulatory placebos''- measures that ''make us feel like we're being protected without actually making us any safer''. | | | 28th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Stuart Corner on Computerworld NZ: Law Foundation report calls for oversight of Government use of AI | | |
| A new report from the New Zealand Law Foundation warns against the unregulated user of artificial intelligence algorithms by government, saying that, in other countries algorithms have led to troubling outcomes. It is calling for the establishment of a regulatory/oversight agency.
It says such an agency would work with individual government agencies that intend either to introduce a new predictive algorithm, or to use an existing predictive algorithm for a new purpose.
The recommendation is the conclusion of a report the foundation has funded prepared by the University of Otago’s Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project (AILNZP). | | | 28th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Chris Burt at Biometric Update: Link Comment Academics call on New Zealand to regulate AI as Brookings issues guidance | | |
| A pair of academics from the University of Otago are calling for the New Zealand government to establish a new independent regulator to monitor artificial intelligence technologies and address risks associated with their use by government agencies.
In a post to The Conversation, Postdoctoral Fellow John Zerilli and Associate Professor in law and ethics Colin Gavaghan say the country is a leader in government AI, but concerns about transparency, meaningful human control, data protection and bias must be addressed. | | | 28th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | RNZ Nine to Noon, Kathryn Ryan interviews Colin Gavaghan - Govt algorithm use growing, regulation needed: study | | |
| A new report calls for an independent regulator to oversee the use of artificial intelligence by government agencies.
Analysis by Internal Affairs and Statistics New Zealand last year documented 32 algorithms in use by 14 agencies for a range of purposes - from ACC to Corrections, Social Development and Police.
The University of Otago Artificial Intelligence and Law Project study, released this morning, says New Zealand is becoming a world leader in predictive analytics, but safeguards against their dangers are needed.
Kathryn speaks with co-author, Otago Univeristy Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan. | | | 27th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | John Zerilli on The Conversation and Sciblogs: Call for independent watchdog to monitor NZ government use of artificial intelligence | | |
| New Zealand is a leader in government use of artificial intelligence (AI). It is part of a global network of countries that use predictive algorithms in government decision making, for anything from the optimal scheduling of public hospital beds to whether an offender should be released from prison, based on their likelihood of reoffending, or the efficient processing of simple insurance claims.
But the official use of AI algorithms in government has been in the spotlight in recent years. On the plus side, AI can enhance the accuracy, efficiency and fairness of day-to-day decision making. But concerns have also been expressed regarding transparency, meaningful human control, data protection and bias.
In a report released today, we recommend New Zealand establish a new independent regulator to monitor and address the risks associated with these digital technologies. | | | 27th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Brittany Keogh at Stuff - Independent watchdog needed to probe Government's use of AI: law, computer science experts | | |
| An independent watchdog needs to be set up to monitor the use of artificial intelligence by government agencies, a group of academics says.
Corrections, police, Immigration, ACC and other agencies use computer-based statistical tools, known as predictive algorithms, to help them make decisions about individuals and their lives – such as whether an offender should be released from prison, based on their likelihood of reoffending.
In the just-published report Government use of artificial intelligence in New Zealand, a think tank from the University of Otago has warned against allowing the practice to continue unchecked. | | | 27th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | University of Otago: Guidelines and regulator needed to avoid risks in government AI use, study finds | | |
| New Zealand is a world leader in government algorithm use – but measures are needed to guard against their dangers.
This is the conclusion of a New Zealand Law Foundation-funded report from the University of Otago’s Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project (AILNZP), which was released this week. | | | 27th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Dan Satherley and Ella Prendergast on Newshub: Are we letting computers make too many big decisions? | | |
| There are concerns New Zealand is letting computers make too many big decisions without checking if they're accurate.
Researchers at the University of Otago believe now is the time to act, to protect against the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI).
"These tools, these algorithms are being used to make very important decisions - who gets to stay in the country, who gets to leave prison or stay in prison, children being taken from their parents," said Colin Gavaghan, associate professor of law.
Government Use of Artificial Intelligence in New Zealand, a new report led by the University of Otago and funded by the Law Foundation, found little transparency over the accuracy of Government algorithms, despite the use of AI increasing. | | | 27th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Voxy: Guidelines and regulator needed to avoid risks in govt AI use - study | | |
| New Zealand is a world leader in government algorithm use - but measures are needed to guard against their dangers.
This is the conclusion of a New Zealand Law Foundation-funded report from the University of Otago’s Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project (AILNZP), which was released this week. | | | 27th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Scoop: Regulator needed to avoid risks in government AI use | | |
| New Zealand is a world leader in government algorithm use – but measures are needed to guard against their dangers.
This is the conclusion of a New Zealand Law Foundation-funded report from the University of Otago’s Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project (AILNZP), which was released this week. | | | 27th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Science Media Centre: Government use of Artificial Intelligence - Expert Reaction | | |
| Science Media Centre sets out expert responses to the Law Foundation-support research report "Government use of Artificial Intelligence in New Zealand".
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| 2019 | NewstalkZB: NZ researchers are emphasising the importance of accuracy and transparency in terms of the Government's use of algorithms | | |
| "NZ researchers are emphasising the importance of accuracy and transparency in terms of the Government's use of algorithms.
"A Law Foundation-funded Otago University ArtificiaI Intelligence and Law Project says the Government must adopt guidelines and an independent regulator to avoid AI's risk. Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan says the public must understand how algorithms make decisions." | | | 27th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | NBR (Paywall): Both companies and personal privacy need protecting in age of 'deepfakes' | | |
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| 2019 | NZ Law Society: Research report looks at "deepfakes" and synthetic media | | |
| There are a wide range of legal and pseudo-legal regimes touching upon the potential harms caused by the creation, content and dissemination of synthetic media. Caution is recommended in developing any substantial new law without first understanding the complex interaction of existing legal regimes, a new report says.
The report, Perception Inception: Preparing for deepfakes and the synthetic media of tomorrow, has been financed by the New Zealand Law Foundation and written by Curtis Barnes and Tom Barraclough. | | | 23rd May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Scoop: Resist rushing to new 'deepfake' law, study finds | | |
| Government should be cautious about moving to new law for "deepfake" audio and video, a new Law Foundation-backed study released today says.
Artificial intelligence techniques can create massive volumes of fake audio, images and video that is incredibly convincing and near-impossible to detect.
Co-author Tom Barraclough predicts that deepfake and other synthetic media will be the next wave of content causing concern to government and tech companies following the Christchurch Call. While it is tempting to respond with new law, the study finds that the long list of current legislation covering the issues may be sufficient.
Link is also available at: https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1905/S00306/resist-rushing-to-new-deepfake-law-study-finds.htm | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Chris Keall at NZ Herald: NZ study highlights the risk of 'deep fakes' on social media - and why our lawmakers should leave it alone | | |
| A new study funded by the Law Foundation highlights the risk of "deep fakes" on social media - which co-author Tom Barraclough says "make it look or sound like something happened when it didn't".
Barraclough says we have multiple laws and guidelines that already cater to the risk - primarily the Crimes Act, which covers when deception is used for gain, the Harmful Digital Communications Act, which covers when it's used for malice and the Privacy Act because "the wrong personal information is still personal information".
Barraclough and his co-author Curtis Barnes (both lawyers turned researchers at the Brainbox Institute) warn that fake is a slippery concept.
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| 2019 | RadioNZ Morning Report: Deepfakes, synthetic media a threat to democracy | | |
| Thanks to Donald Trump the phrase "fake news" is, for better or worse, forever embedded in our collective consciousness. But fake news - false information which is spread deliberately to deceive people - is just the tip of the iceberg threatening our democracy. "Deepfakes" create phony human images based on artificial intelligence... so it's possible to make it seem as if individuals are doing and saying things they never did. This has both personal, and political, implications. Tom Barraclough has co-authored a report for the Law Foundation on the problem of deepfake and synthetic media, and what New Zealander law makers might need to do to fight it. | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Sara Barker at NZ Future Five, IT Brief & bizEDGE: Deepfakes the 'next wave of concern' - but can law really stomp it out? | | |
| The dishonest and sometimes outright manipulative world of ‘deepfakes’ should be carefully considered before any government attempt to deal with the problem is formulated, according to a new Law Foundation-backed study.
Released today, the Perception Inception report looks at how photographs and videos are subject to 21st century manipulation, the origins of which go back decades since the birth of photography.
But now, technology has advanced to the point in which images, sounds, and videos can be manipulated to the point of looking genuine. What’s more, the fakery can often be almost impossible to detect. | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Katie Fitzgerald at Newshub: 'Deepfake' videos could be next social media minefield - researchers | | |
| There's growing concern about the damage sophisticated fake videos can have on the public.
A new Law Foundation report says deepfake media could prove troublesome to tech companies and the Government, following the Christchurch Call.
Deepfakes involve the use of artificial intelligence to create a simulated video that is almost indistinguishable from the real thing. | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Science Media Centre: Deepfake and the law - Expert Reaction | | |
| Science Media Centre sets out expert responses to the Law Foundation-support research report "Perception inception: Preparing for deepfakes and the synthetic media of tomorrow".
Co-authors for the report are Tom Barraclough and Curtis Barnes. | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Newsroom Op-ed (Paywall): Don't believe everything you see, or hear | | |
| Synthetic media and "deepfakes" pose a new threat to democratic processes, if used in the wrong way, write Brainbox Institute co-directors Curtis Barnes and Tom Barraclough. | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Michael Daly at Stuff - Deepfakes and synthetic media: The new age of disinformation is growing | | |
| Amidst the threats identified in a new report of the digital threats to democracy are two challenges with sinister sounding names - deepfakes and synthetic media. But what are these emerging risks and why should we care about them?
The issue is explained in a Law Foundation-backed study by Tom Barraclough and Curtis Barnes of research company Brainbox, a think tank that looks at the intersection of law, policy and emerging technologies.
There's already fake news, and plenty of different ideas about what is and isn't fake, but we're speeding toward a time when it's going to become increasingly difficult to know whether you can believe what you're seeing. | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Devdiscourse News Desk - Govt should be cautious about moving to new deepfake law: study | | |
| Artificial intelligence techniques can create massive volumes of fake audio, images and video that is incredibly convincing and near-impossible to detect.
The government should be cautious about moving to the new law for "deepfake" audio and video, a new Law Foundation-backed study released today says. | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Charlotte Carter at Stuff: Deepfakes and synthetic media an 'abiding concern' - political scientist | | |
| Deepfakes and synthetic media are artificial intelligence based-technology used to produce or alter video content so it presents something that didn't happen.
A report on the impact of social media on democracy titled Digital Threats to Democracy, funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation and Luminate Group, cautioned against rushing to develop new laws to respond to synthetic media. | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | APO (Analysis and Policy Observatory), Australia - Perception inception: preparing for deepfakes and the synthetic media of tomorrow | | |
| Contemporary audio-visual effects technologies now allow for the creation and manipulation of information in challenging ways never before encountered. They can be used to put words in people’s mouths, portray people doing things they never did, copy their faces and voices, or even create entirely new faces and voices that appear thoroughly human.
This research report considers the wide-ranging social, legal and policy issues arising. Synthetic media technologies have huge potential benefits, but they also have risks. Public awareness of this risk of deception has grown through discussion of one kind of emerging audiovisual technology known as “deepfakes”. The existence of such technologies may undermine general trust in audiovisual information to some degree. | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | RadioNZ Nine to Noon, Kathryn Ryan and Gavin Ellis: Deepfakes - when you shouldn't believe your eyes | | |
| Media commentator Gavin Ellis speaks to Kathryn about a new study out this morning which says we should resist rushing into new laws to control "deepfakes". | | | 21st May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Marianne Elliott at The Spinoff: Christchurch Call is a small, welcome step. Here's what needs to come next | | |
| Research carried out by Marianne Elliott and colleagues found that the harm done to people and democracy by digital media is driven not only by the behaviour of a few bad actors using these platforms, but by the unintended effects of the underlying business model of the attention economy, the monopolistic power of a handful of companies and the opaqueness of their practices.
In particular, the algorithms that are the engines of these platforms are using an unprecedented amount of data to control the flow of information to citizens, without any transparency or accountability around how they work and the harm they may be doing to democracy. If harm done by social media is to be reduced in any meaningful and sustainable way, those root causes need to be addressed. | | | 16th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | NewstalkZB: Christchurch Call already having impact - but will it go far enough? | | |
| Marianne Elliott says, "I think the pre-emptive action taken by Facebook is a good indication of the kind of concrete but relatively narrow commitment we will see. It's a step in the right direction from Facebook."
She thinks that we will see more social media sites doing similar moves, such as making it more difficult to load content.
Elliot thinks that what Facebook has announced does not go far enough but action of any kind if still needed.
"What this shows me is that these platforms are willing to take steps in the right direction when put under pressure from users and governments." | | | 16th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Jacinda Ardern's Christchurch Call: Algorithms remain in control, and secret | | |
| Marianne Elliott, lead researcher of the Law Foundation-funded report on the impact of digital media on democracy, says that, "What the Christchurch Call shows is that these companies will act, under pressure, but also that they will do the least they possibly can." | | | 16th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | RNZ - Facebook: a tiny step in reining in a Goliath of global power | | |
| Berentson-Shaw and Elliott write that while Facebook has voluntarily taken the first step, this Goliath of global power, which operates in a monopolistic framework, cannot be relied on to self-regulate to prevent harm, not when so much profit is involved.
Governments must recognise the threat to democracy that is posed by the huge power a handful of privately-owned platforms wield over so many aspects of our lives. Governments need to act to regulate these corporations, as well as explore and test a number of other actions to build an environment which ensures corporations are properly responsible for protecting the people who use their services.
The algorithms utilised by people in these businesses are using people’s personal data in unprecedented and unbalanced ways to drive content to them, and there is very little transparency about how the algorithms work or accountability for their impact, especially in terms of radicalising people to hateful ideas and actions. | | | 15th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Science Media Centre: Christchurch Call re Expert Reaction (Marianne Elliott; Alistair Knott) | | |
| Comments include those from Marianne Elliott and Alistair Knott, grantees for studies that receive funding support from NZ Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project. | | | 14th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Brittany Keogh at Stuff - Social media influences New Zealanders' opinions on politics and hurts democracy, study says | | |
| New Zealanders are less skeptical of information shared by people they know and trust and may be more likely to stay silent in conversations about social and political issues online if they think their opinions are unpopular, according to new research.
Marianne Elliott, co-director of The Workshop who led the research project, said with so much information available in the digital age, it made sense that people judged whether they trusted the messenger as a "shortcut" to work out whether they could trust the information.
| | | 13th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | 1 News at Six, TVNZ (Monday 13 May 2019): Marianne Elliott, Researcher | | |
| Marianne Elliott provides comments about the 'Christchurch Call' (14 minutes after the start of 1 News) | | | 13th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | LawTalk: Aotearoa's future courts: should online courts be our future? | | |
| Advocates for online courts promise they will make justice more accessible and affordable. But how do we know they will really improve access to justice and not merely provide a cost-saving scheme for the state? Empirical research is urgently required to answer many unanswered questions, and the legal profession need to be part of that process. | | | 10th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | RadioNZ Nine to Noon: Digital threats to democracy | | |
| On Radio New Zealand's Nine to Noon with Kathryn Ryan, Technology commentator Peter Griffin examines a Law Foundation report about how digital media is having a negative impact on democracy - how does it fit with the PM's desire for a 'Christchurch Call' for social media companies to deal with online hate? | | | 9th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | NZ Law Society News: Social media controls need wider approach, says study | | |
| Smart regulation and “human responses,” rather than a narrow focus on content moderation alone, are needed to counter the threat to democracy posed by digital media platforms like Facebook as they currently operate, Law Foundation-backed research has found.
The study, Digital Threats to Democracy, makes recommendations on dealing with the risks and threats caused by social media and digital platform monopolies. | | | 9th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Chris Keall at NZ Herald - Jacinda Ardern's 'Christchurch Call' Paris summit will fall short: researcher | | |
| The "Christchurch Call" summit in Paris is likely to fall short in two critical areas, according to the author of a new report funded by the Law Foundation (embedded below). Marianne Elliott, says more sweeping, globally co-ordinated moves are needed to bolster public media, and address the fake news environment that fosters extremism. | | | 8th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Simon Collins at NZ Herald - Jacinda Ardern urged to tame Facebook and YouTube programs that feed extremist content | | |
| A report, funded by the NZ Law Foundation and a charity started by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, proposes international action to monitor the computer programs used by giants such as Facebook and YouTube to feed people extremist content.
Lead author Marianne Elliott says the "Christchurch Call" summit which Ardern will co-chair in Paris next week should not focus only on banning violent content such as the live-streaming of the Christchurch mosque attacks. | | | 8th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Amber-Leigh Woolf at Stuff - PM Jacinda Ardern's 'Christchurch Call' falls short of the scale of terror online | | |
| The "Christchurch Call" launched by Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron falls short of dealing with the scale of hatred online, new social media research says.
The call to action seeks a global agreement to attempt to stop platforms like Facebook being used to promote terrorism.
But content moderation alone won't be enough, researchers behind the Digital Threats to Democracy report have warned.
"It is critical that the Prime Minister and her advisors look beyond immediate concerns about violent extremism and content moderation", lead researcher Marianne Elliott said. | | | 8th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Jamie Ensor at Mediaworks NZ - Ardern's social media Christchurch Call falls short: report | | |
| "It is critical that the Prime Minister and her advisors look beyond immediate concerns about violent extremism and content moderation, to consider the wider context in which digital media is having a growing, and increasingly negative, impact on our democracy," said lead researcher Marianne Elliot.
The report said social media has positive features such as allowing direct access to people around the globe and providing a voice to the voiceless, but also allowed the spread of fake news, populism and hate speech. | | | 8th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | NewstalkZB: Social media algorithms under fire for feeding people extremist content | | |
| A new study's proposing international action to monitor the computer programs used by giants such as Facebook and YouTube to feed people extremist content.
But lead researcher, Marianne Elliott, told Mike Hosking non-transparent digital media algorithms are also having increasingly negative impacts on our democracy. | | | 8th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Scoop - Mobilise citizens to rein in social media, study finds | | |
| Smart regulation and “human responses,” rather than a narrow focus on content moderation alone, are needed to counter the threat to democracy posed by digital media platforms like Facebook as they currently operate, a newly-launched study has found.
The Law Foundation-backed research says the recent “Christchurch call”, seeking global agreement on preventing terrorism promotion on social media, is a positive initiative but falls short of dealing with the scale of the challenge.
“Clearly there is value in starting with a specific goal, such as ending the spread of terrorism online,” says lead researcher Marianne Elliott. “But it is critical that the Prime Minister and her advisors look beyond immediate concerns about violent extremism and content moderation, to consider the wider context in which digital media is having a growing and increasingly negative impact on our democracy.” | | | 8th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Peter Griffin at Noted - Government needs to do more to counter digital threats to democracy | | |
| Tech companies will secretly relish the chance to prostrate themselves at the feet of world leaders looking for their own political quick wins. Next week’s ‘Christchurch Call’ summit in Paris will see focus on the moderation of online content diverting attention away from the more fundamental issues the digital giants pose to society.
Those issues are well canvassed in the new Law Foundation-funded report Digital Threats to Democracy released today and one of the most in-depth reports published locally to date on the negative side effects accompanying the rise of digital media.
The problems, the report explains, have three drivers – the sheer power a small handful of ‘monopoly platforms’ have amassed, the lack of transparency around the computer algorithms that underpin them and the attention economy that has turned our social media data points into digital gold for Silicon Valley.
“There have been plenty of signs that more government action was needed for quite some time,” says the report’s lead author Marianne Elliott, the co-director of research, policy and communication think-tank The Workshop. | | | 8th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Scimex.org - Reining in social media giants | | |
| Content moderation alone won't be enough to counter the threat to democracy posed by platforms like Facebook, according to a new report funded by the Law Foundation. | | | 8th May 2019 |
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| 2019 | Call for lawyers to test New Zealand's potential online courts | | |
| The arrival of online courts in New Zealand may see a significant rise in claimants appearing without a lawyer by their side, which would raise big issues about access to justice, University of Otago researchers say.
To understand how people might translate disputes into the language of justice without legal help Otago's Legal Issues Centre is calling on lawyers to participate in an innovative experiment.
The Centre's Aotearoa's Future Courts Project is the first in New Zealand to look at the potential impact of the international trend of online courts. It will compare how lay people and lawyers describe disputes by asking them to conduct mock client interviews and file claims in a mock online court (which is based on an operational Canadian model).
The project is co-funded by the University of Otago Legal Issues Centre and the New Zealand Law Foundation.
Interested lawyers can go to tinyurl.com/FutureCourtsResearch for more information.
| | | 15th April 2019 |
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| 2019 | John Gibb at ODT - Fighting prejudice on social media difficult: academic | | |
| The problem of countering religious and racial prejudice on social media is much tougher than simply banning ''extreme hate groups'' from Facebook, Associate Prof Colin Gavaghan says.
He directs the New Zealand Law Foundation Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies at the University of Otago Law Faculty, and has a leading role in the Foundation-funded Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Law Project. | | | 11th April 2019 |
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| 2019 | LawTalk: Taking law and technology teaching to all students | | |
| Undergraduate teaching of law and practice around new information technologies may become mainstreamed due to a major new Law Foundation-funded research project.
The $332,000 Technology in Legal Education project intends to create an online toolkit enabling law lecturers to integrate legal technology subjects within core curriculum papers. This could allow second and third-year law students to study emerging areas like artificial intelligence, digitisation of courts, and the use of audio-visual technologies to interview clients and cross-examine witnesses, among other things.
Virtual reality headset
Project leader, University of Waikato Law School Dean Wayne Rumbles, says the project, backed by all six law schools, aims to ensure all law students - not just those with a specialty interest - get a grounding in information technology law. | | | 5th April 2019 |
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| 2019 | Science Media Centre: Live-streaming of traumatic events re Expert Reaction (Alistair Knott; Marianne Elliott) | | |
| Comments include those from Alistair Knott and Marianne Elliott, grantees for studies that receive funding support from NZ Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project. | | | 18th March 2019 |
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| 2019 | LawTalk: Regulating fake news and video | | |
| The Law Foundation, through its Information Law and Policy Project, is backing two projects that are looking at how to regulate harmful use of two fast-moving technology areas: video and social media. | | | 8th March 2019 |
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| 2019 | Marianne Elliott on Newsroom: Twitter's 'huge fail' on online abuse | | |
| Over the past six months, as part of research funded by the Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project, Marianne Elliott interviewed 36 New Zealand experts on the impacts of digital media on our democracy. Alongside the positive impacts, she heard concerns about the impact of digital media on the advertising income of traditional media, the spread of mis- and dis-information on matters of public interest and the lack of transparency in political advertising online.
Marianne asked each expert which of the potentially harmful impacts of social media on democracy was most urgent in New Zealand. ... one of the common answers to that question was online abuse. There was widespread agreement that online abuse was more than a problem of bad behaviour from certain individuals directed at other individuals. Interviewees described 'swarms' of abusive actors online, acting en masse to attack people who were expressing political opinions they wanted to shut down. | | | 21st February 2019 |
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| 2018 | Jamie Morton at NZ Herald: The eight biggest myths about driverless cars | | |
| Michael Cameron, who has just published a book as part of a Law Foundation project didn't attempt to guess when the driverless dawn might come. Rather, he argues, the future is up to New Zealand to decide - and we'll need to be proactive if we want to reap the best benefits of the technology. | | | 29th December 2018 |
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| 2018 | University of Waikato: What do Kiwis think of encryption? | | |
| An ongoing study by researchers at the University of Waikato has found that New Zealanders place the highest value on privacy, data protection, information security, and trust. These are closely followed by national security and public safety and right to property as the top principles and values concerning encryption. The study is funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project. | | | 17th December 2018 |
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| 2018 | Katie Kenny at Stuff: Algorithms are everywhere but the public sector seems scared to use them | | |
| Law Foundation grantee Ali Knott at Otago University's AI and Law in New Zealand Project says some of the tools already being used "can already be thought of as AI systems".
"I'd say anything the report refers to as 'machine learning' algorithms can be considered as 'AI'. A lot of 'operational' algorithms referred to in the report, that make decisions 'based on large / complex data sets', are machine learning algorithms and therefore AI." | | | 13th November 2018 |
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| 2018 | Tom Barraclough & Curtis Barnes (Opinion on Stuff): Could the Acosta video be the start of a worrying trend? | | |
| "Public and private institutions have methods for detecting fake or inauthentic records. But the Acosta incident ought to provoke us to investigate more closely. We need to think carefully about the way we consume and pass on the audio-visual information we see and hear." | | | 9th November 2018 |
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| 2018 | Annie Gray (Management): article about ILAPP-funded research on cryptocurrencies | | |
| In Management, November 2018 issue (www.management.co.nz or facebook.com/ManagementNZ) | | | 1st November 2018 |
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| 2018 | Newstalk ZB: Government and Reserve Bank urged to embrace cryptocurrency | | |
| Newstalk ZB Kerre McIvor interviewed Associate Professor Alex Sims about the ILAPP-funded report on cryptocurrencies. | | | 30th October 2018 |
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| 2018 | NBR: Cryptocurrencies are 'here to stay', so govt should get used to it | | |
| NBR: "New Zealand should jump on the blockchain train, says new UoA report." | | | 28th October 2018 |
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| 2018 | University of Auckland: NZ needs to jump on blockchain train | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims and collaborators release their ILAPP-funded research report. A central bank-issued cryptocurrency, thriving cryptocurrency exchanges and the ability for businesses to trade in GST-free cryptocurrency are needed if Aotearoa New Zealand is to enjoy the vast potential benefits from this technology, a new report finds. | | | 28th October 2018 |
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| 2018 | New Zealand Professors Advocate for Crypto-Friendly Blockchain Regulations | | |
| To make the country a hub of blockchain and cryptocurrency projects, the government of New Zealand needs to enact regulations for the local blockchain sector. This is the reason why professors at the University of Auckland recently published a report urging the local administration to establish a legal framework for the country's crypto space. | | | 5th October 2018 |
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| 2018 | Katie Kenny on Stuff Interactive: Move Fast, But First, Do No Harm | | |
| Historically, governments have seen digital technology as a matter for private arrangements, says Dr James Every-Palmer QC, a barrister at Wellington's Stout Street Chambers and author of Regulation of new technology: Institutions and processes, published in March and funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation.
"But people are now asking questions," he says. "How does social media affect people's happiness and how can it be manipulated by foreign interests? What rules should apply to people promoting Bitcoin? Should Uber drivers have the same protections as employees? New Zealand hasn't answered these questions, but nor has any other country."
He says a "technology commission", mandated to address these questions along with other authorities in New Zealand and overseas, would help. He admits it's a bit of a radical proposition, to devolve legislative powers to a bureaucracy, even only on an interim basis.
"However, the rapid pace of technological change is likely to require faster regulatory responses than is possible through Parliament."
Plus, he says, New Zealand has a history of creating innovative regulatory and commercial solutions: "For example, the deployment of Eftpos technology, the development of a wholesale electricity market, the creation of Fonterra and the creation of our own 'space law' to allow launches by Rocket Lab."
Consumer engagement is a chicken-and-egg situation. Without regulations requiring transparency, consumers aren't aware of what data is collected and how it's commercialised and transferred, and how it affects their online experience. Better understanding of that would give consumers a more active role, Every-Palmer says.
Given this lack of transparency, by default, the onus has to be on companies and governments to provide evidence that what they're doing is fair, and accurate. | | | 3rd October 2018 |
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| 2018 | Stuart Corner (Computerworld NZ): NZ Government urged to adopt cryptocurrency | | |
| A report produced by the University of Auckland based on research funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation has called for New Zealand to develop a central bank-issued cryptocurrency, thriving cryptocurrency exchanges and the ability for businesses to trade in GST-free cryptocurrency.
It says all these are needed if New Zealand is to enjoy "the vast potential benefits from this technology." | | | 2nd October 2018 |
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| 2018 | Sarah Putt at Computerworld: Blockchain more transformative than internet - researcher | | |
| New Zealand should look to become a blockchain and financial technology hub, argues a team of legal and financial experts in a report based on research funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project.
Alex Sims, Principal researcher and Associate Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland says cryptocurrencies are here to stay and that this country is missing a trick if it doesn't get to grips with the technology. | | | 2nd October 2018 |
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| 2018 | LawTalk: Cryptocurrency encouragement recommended | | |
| LawTalk reports on the latest findings and recommendations from Associate Professor Alex Sims' cryptocurrencies research. | | | 1st October 2018 |
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| 2018 | Science Media Centre: Cryptocurrencies here to stay - Expert Reaction | | |
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| 2018 | Kryptomoney: New Zealand Law Foundation Report Suggests Accepting Cryptocurrency | | |
| Arshmeet Hora reports on the ILAPP-funded cryptocurrencies research authored by Associate Professor Sims and her collaborators. | | | 29th September 2018 |
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| 2018 | RadioNZ Nine to Noon Interview: NZ urged to embrace cryptocurrency: new report | | |
| New research funded by the Law Foundation urges the government and Reserve Bank to embrace cryptocurrency, saying the technology could unlock "vast potential benefits".
Cryptocurrency is money that only exists digitally or virtually and uses cryptography and blockchain technology to regulate its generation and verify fund transfers.
Its report, released today, warns the Government against attempting to ban the use of cryptocurrencies and argues it should instead actively support New Zealand becoming a blockchain and financial technology hub.
Kathryn talks with principal researcher is Alex Sims, Associate Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland Business School. | | | 28th September 2018 |
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| 2018 | TVNZ Breakfast: Experts urge NZ Government to get behind new crypto-currency technology | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims was interviewed by TVNZ Breakfast regarding the Law Foundation-funded research on 'Regulating Cryptocurrencies in New Zealand'. | | | 28th September 2018 |
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| 2018 | Peter Griffin: The case for New Zealand's own cryptocurrency | | |
| Peter Griffin writes: "... a group of legal experts has drawn attention to New Zealand's woeful lack of preparation for this crypto revolution, criticising our hands-off regulatory approach and indifference towards the innovation thriving in this area." | | | 28th September 2018 |
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| 2018 | Interest.co.nz: Researchers call for the Reserve Bank, retail banks and other regulators to be kicked into gear to ensure NZ doesn't miss the blockchain boat | | |
| Jenee Tibshraeny reports on the findings of 'Regulating Cryptocurrencies in New Zealand' authored by Associate Professor Sims et al. | | | 28th September 2018 |
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| 2018 | Sara Barker - All aboard the blockchain train: Academic says NZ needs to catch up fast | | |
| "Cryptocurrencies are here to stay, but New Zealand is not as innovative and agile as we like to think," Sara Barker reports after reviewing the findings from the research carried out by Associate Professor Alex Sims and her collaborators. | | | 28th September 2018 |
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| 2018 | Andrew Munro - New Zealand Law Foundation-funded research says it's time to do cryptocurrency | | |
| Andrew Munro writes: "The full report in all its 179-page glory (PDF) is so comprehensive that it could probably work as an adequate primer to bring a keen reader up to speed on how the technology works, to better make sense of its recommendations. It might have been intended to serve as New Zealand's blockchain bible for government decision-makers." | | | 28th September 2018 |
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| 2018 | RNZ Morning Report's Business News (Interviewer: Nona Pelletier) | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims interviewed about findings from the ILAPP-supported research on cryptocurrencies: between 04:08 - 06:10. | | | 28th September 2018 |
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| 2018 | LawFuel - Artificial Intelligence & The Law: Will It Take Us To Dark Places Too? | | |
| Otago University's artificial intelligence research will help shed light on the effect of AI innovations on law and public policy in New Zealand, including a look at some potentially harmful implications from the powerful and fast-developing technology. The Otago initiative, Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand, is funded in part by the Law Foundation and is a three year multi-disciplinary project involving the Law Faculty and the Philosophy and Computer Science faculties. | | | 14th September 2018 |
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| 2018 | University of Waikato: Researchers argue backdoors violate encryption principles | | |
| University of Waikato researchers contend that building backdoors into encryption contravenes important encryption principles and should not be pursued as a matter of law and policy. | | | 30th August 2018 |
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| 2018 | Jamie Morton at NZ Herald: New call for companies to front up over data mining | | |
| Kiwi companies should be upfront with customers about what their data-harvesting artificial intelligence programmes do, a new report finds. This report, published by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), comes after a group of Law Foundation-funded University of Otago experts called for a new watchdog to regulate how government-run AI sifted through Kiwi data. | | | 29th July 2018 |
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| 2018 | LawTalk: Foundation's early investment in technology research bears fruit | | |
| A decade ago, the Law Foundation took the far-sighted step of establishing a specialist research centre at Otago University to study law and policy challenges for New Zealand arising from the adoption of new technologies. At that time, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) were only just beginning to emerge. Now AI is with us - more than 140 New Zealand organisations, including many government agencies, are working with or investing in AI. | | | 29th June 2018 |
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| 2018 | University of Otago: Researching the costs and benefits of artificial intelligence | | |
| Collaboration is under way between the Law Foundation-funded Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project (AILNZ) and the newly established Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Public Policy (CAIPP) at the University of Otago. | | | 30th May 2018 |
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| 2018 | Thinking Outside the (Black) Box. The Problems and Perils of Algorithmic Decision-making - Kirby Seminar | | |
| "Is there a way to get the best from the science predictive analytics, while at the same time avoiding the traps of the 'black box'?" - Colin Gavaghan, Director of NZLF-sponsored Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies discusses this question at the Kirby Seminar Series 2018, University of New England, NSW. | | | 14th May 2018 |
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| 2018 | Sarah Putt at Computerworld: Director of NZLF's Emerging Tech Centre speaks on issues about the rise of algorithms at Privacy Forum | | |
| Colin asks many questions, such as "How can you maintain transparency when the algorithm is straightforward at the start but once it has been applied to data, it 'learns' and changes and as a result its decision-making process may become opaque?" Video recording of his presentation and panel discussion is at the FaceBook link below. | | | 9th May 2018 |
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| 2018 | John Gibb: Chance to lead ethical use of AI | | |
| New Zealand could present itself as a "kind of role model" and an international leader in the ethical use of artificial intelligence, gaining benefits while avoiding the pitfalls, if the issues were carefully and openly studied. Prof Gavaghan, who is director of the Otago University's New Zealand Law Foundation Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies, said he and Otago philosopher Prof James Maclaurin would be co-directors of a new interdisciplinary Centre for AI and Public Policy that would give the Government access to "high-quality, expert advice on the legal, ethical and policy issues surrounding algorithmic analytics and other new technologies". | | | 8th May 2018 |
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| 2018 | Otago Experts have been invited by Government to work on AI Framework | | |
| A government relationship is being formalised with the NZ Law Foundation-initiated Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies to shape the future of AI and predictive analytics software use in New Zealand. The University of Otago will be forming a new Centre for AI and Public Policy that will be headed by Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan who is the director of the NZLF's Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies at the Faculty of Law, as well as Professor James Maclaurin, Department of Philosophy, and Alistair Knott, Otago's Department of Computer Science. All three are co-investigators of the 'AI and Law in NZ' study that is funded by the NZ Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project. | | | 2nd May 2018 |
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| 2018 | Government is formalising its relationship with the Law Foundation Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies | | |
| Government is formalising its relationship with Otago University's NZ Law Foundation for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies with regard to the establishment of a Centre for AI and Public Policy. The aim of this is to allow opportunities for government to access high quality, expert advice on the legal, ethical and policy issues surrounding AI, algorithmic analytics and other new technologies. | | | 2nd May 2018 |
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| 2018 | University of Waikato: Investigating the written and unwritten laws of encryption | | |
| There is a common belief that encryption is largely unregulated. But based on their preliminary findings, researchers Dr Michael Dizon, Associate Professor Ryan Ko and Associate Professor Wayne Rumbles have found that there are a number of specific laws, technical policies, and social practices that control how encryption is actually accessed and used. | | | 30th April 2018 |
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| 2018 | Jamie Morton: Call for Govt data-mining watchdog | | |
| A group of University of Otago academics say New Zealand should follow the United Kingdom in moving toward a new body to oversee the use of AI-based predictive tools. The experts, working under the Law Foundation-funded Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project, agreed there was a place for them but argued they needed to be watched, and that the public not be kept in the dark. | | | 22nd April 2018 |
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| 2018 | Realising the Potential of Driverless Vehicles - recommendations for reform | | |
| Michael Cameron, recipient of the NZ Law Foundation 2016 International Research Fellowship, launched the book containing his research report and recommendations on "Realising the Potential of Driverless Vehicles". The technology relied upon by driverless vehicles will be dependent on data-driven insights, analysis and systems. Michael has investigated the legal, regulatory and policy issues that underpin as well as enable and provide safeguards for the uses of one of the most significant emerging technologies of the current time. | | | 19th April 2018 |
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| 2018 | Colin Gavaghan on Pundit: Where did it algo wrong? The threat and promise of predictive analytics | | |
| Attitudes to 'artificial intelligence' and predictive algorithms seem to oscillate between hype and hysteria. The true picture is a good deal more mixed, but as more examples of predictive analytics in government come to light, it's time for some proper oversight. | | | 19th April 2018 |
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| 2018 | Research on Regulation of New Technology: Institutions and Processes | | |
| Research findings and recommendations from Dr James Every-Palmer, QC, on the regulation of new technology is available at https://ep.nz/papers. | | | 28th March 2018 |
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| 2018 | Interest.co.nz: There is a simple reason for blockchain's spectacular rate of development, says Alex Sims. No patents | | |
| "The question is: are our current intellectual property laws fit for purpose if three paradigm-shifting technologies - the internet, the world-wide-web and now the blockchain - are flourishing in the absence of protection under such laws?
"Granted, it would be irresponsible to abolish patent law unless other systems were put in place. In the short term, in regards to copyright law, the Australian Law Reform Commission recommends that to foster innovation, fair use needs to be implemented in Australia. New Zealand should follow this recommendation." | | | 23rd March 2018 |
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| 2018 | Mike Houlahan at ODT: AI 'engine of 4th industrial revolution' | | |
| "While in New Zealand Ms Firth-Butterfield paid a visit to the University of Otago's AI project. The Dunedin-based, Law Foundation-funded initiative might seem light years away from the presidents, prime ministers and CEOs Ms Firth-Butterfield usually deals with, but she said national projects such as the one in Otago were vital for the development of a worldwide framework for the implementation of ethical AI." | | | 3rd February 2018 |
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| 2018 | University of Waikato: Deciphering the encryption dilemma | | |
| To address the contentious issues surrounding access to and use of encryption, researchers at the University of Waikato plan to examine not just laws but also the other relevant rules that apply to the technology. Waikato researchers Associate Professor Wayne Rumbles, Associate Professor Ryan Ko and Dr Michael Dizon believe that a hard and inflexible stance is not supported by the research and is not conducive for finding an acceptable solution to the encryption dilemma. | | | 2nd February 2018 |
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| 2018 | He Kitenga University of Otago: AI and Responsibility | | |
| Otago researchers are investigating the implications of the artificial intelligence revolution on law, life and work. Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand is a three-year Law Foundation-funded project, examining possible law and public policy implications of AI innovations, ranging from crime prediction software, to autonomous vehicles, to the automation of work. The project team is led by Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan (Law), Associate Professor Alistair Knott (Computer Science) and Maclaurin, who brings expertise in ethics and the philosophy of science. | | | 28th January 2018 |
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| 2018 | Mike Houlahan at ODT: Medical technology could leave law behind, professor says | | |
| The Law Foundation-funded AI project is researching where the law is lagging behind developments in the AI field and exploring potential liability issues stemming from that. | | | 27th January 2018 |
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| 2018 | RadioNZ: Civil disputes online? Objection! | | |
| The introduction of an online forum to settle some civil disputes could raise issues about the role of the Court, says Dr Bridgette Toy-Cronin who has been awarded a grant funded by the Law Foundation under the Information Law and Policy Project. | | | 18th January 2018 |
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| 2017 | Alex Sims (Opinion on Stuff): Forget Bitcoin, Blockchain technology is much bigger | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims, University of Auckland Business School, writes an opinion piece that opens by observing that while it is hard to find a person who has not heard about Bitcoin, few have heard about blockchain technology which promises to change society and the economy even more than the internet. | | | 17th December 2017 |
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| 2017 | Dunedin Roundtable on Uses of Artificial Intelligence in the Criminal Justice System | | |
| ILAPP-funded researchers for the Artificial Intelligence study convened a roundtable in Dunedin involving seven invited speakers (see the link below for the roundtable programme). One of the speakers, Geoff Barnes, Director of Criminology, Western Australia Police Force, was interviewed by the Otago Daily Times. Geoff also visited Wellington to present at a Brown Bag Lunch, hosted by the Ministry of Justice on 13 December 2017, that reached out to policy advisors and officials, as well as NGOs and businesses. | | | 12th December 2017 |
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| 2017 | Is AI racist? Can we trust it? Is it dangerous to rely on AI? | | |
| Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan, one of the principal investigators for the Law Foundation's ILAPP-funded study on Artificial Intelligence asks and discusses a number of critical questions. AI will soon be omnipresent in our everyday lives, but it raises all sorts of legal and ethical questions: is it racist? Can we trust it? Who should be responsible when it causes harm? | | | 6th December 2017 |
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| 2017 | Susan Edmunds on Stuff - Bitcoin price fall: Is it the beginning of the end? | | |
| ... Alex Sims, Associate Professor in the Department of Commercial Law and Head of Department of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland, agreed Blockchain and cryptocurrencies were likely to be the lasting developments thanks to Bitcoin. "What it's created is a new asset class and it's got major utility. ..." | | | 1st December 2017 |
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| 2017 | Stuart Corner on Computerworld NZ: Waikato Uni team to research governments' power to order decryption | | |
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| 2017 | Matt Nippert on NZ Herald: Teen's under-fire cryptocurrency offer withdrawn | | |
| Alex Sims, associate professor in commercial law at the University of Auckland, said the ICO space was presently fluid with a wide variety of offerings in the market. ... Sims said the FMA needed to allow ICOs to be set up in New Zealand, otherwise the business would go offshore - losing the country's capital and offering local investors no recourse to offshore ventures that went sour. | | | 28th November 2017 |
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| 2017 | Madison Reidy on Stuff - Tax on robots that take jobs would be 'stupid': manufacturers | | |
| [Auckland University head of commercial law Alex Sims] disagreed. This time, the effect that technology would have on workers was different, she said. | | | 26th November 2017 |
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| 2017 | Oxford Roundtable on Uses of Artificial Intelligence in the Criminal Justice System | | |
| The Law Foundation ILAPP researchers for AI held a joint Oxford-Otago Universities Roundtable on Uses of AI in the Criminal Justice System on 23rd and 24th November. Participants and the programme for the roundtable is available at the weblink below. | | | 23rd November 2017 |
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| 2017 | Frances Cook at NZ Herald - Cooking the Books podcast: Why you should be keeping an eye on bitcoin | | |
| We're a country that usually loves to combine technology and money, even at the relatively simple level of how fast and enthusiastically we all started using Eftpos.
Yet if you want to dabble in cryptocurrencies here, you face a bit of a wild west. There's even the possibility of the bank shutting down your account and accusing you of being linked to illegal activities.
Frances Cook called up Auckland University's Head of Department of Commercial Law, Associate Professor Alex Sims, to find out if there was a good reason why some were dragging their feet.
They talked about how these new currencies actually work, why they've caused all this controversy, and what the potential is for them to change the way we live our lives. | |
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NZ Herald | | 8th November 2017 |
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| 2017 | LawTalk: Tackling policy challenges of the information age | | |
| Three new studies examining online civil courts, data encryption security and the use of posthumous healthcare data have been launched through the Law Foundation’s dedicated $2 million fund for information law and policy research.
Technology is rapidly and unpredictably changing how we live and work, often before we can properly consider how innovations should be managed. The new projects, described below, help tackle some of the numerous public policy challenges posed by the information revolution. | |
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LawTalk Issue No.912 | | 3rd November 2017 |
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| 2017 | Farmers Weekly: Blockchain could save billions | | |
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| 2017 | Mike Houlahan: Abandoning driver's seat to cut the road toll | | |
| You can cut the road toll to almost nothing, but you have to let a computer control your car. University of Otago researchers are contemplating the social, scientific, ethical and legal issues arising from technology such as driverless cars. | |
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Otago Daily Times | | 17th October 2017 |
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| 2017 | Controversial Blockchain system now available in NZ | | |
| Blockchain, the technology underpinning controversial digital currency bitcoin is making inroads to the mainstream in New Zealand and elsewhere.
Yesterday IBM announced a new low-cost international payments system which will be available in New Zealand using Blockchain - a way of securely conducting and recording electronic transactions without a database. Alex Sims of Auckland University's Department of Commercial Law says the IBM announcement is a huge validation of the technology, and it's just the beginning, she tells us. | |
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Morning Report, Radio New Zealand | | 17th October 2017 |
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| 2017 | Michael Cameron in The Listener: "Look Ma - No Hands" - options for reforming the law to facilitate safe and successful deployment of autonomous vehicles | | |
| Michael Cameron, whose research project "Realising the Potential of Autonomous Vehicles for New Zealand" is being funded by the Law Foundation, recently had his article published in the October 14-20 edition of the NZ Listener magazine. In his article "Look Ma - No Hands", Michael highlights the key focus of his research, which is investigating the options for reforming the law to facilitate the safe and successful deployment of autonomous vehicles in New Zealand.
Michael was the 2016 recipient of New Zealand's most prestigious law award, the NZ Law Foundation International Research Fellowship Te Karahipi Rangahau ā Taiao. Michael's research is also part of the Law Foundation's wider Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP), a $2 million fund dedicated to developing law and policy in New Zealand around IT, data, information, artificial intelligence and cyber security.
To read Michael's article in the NZ Listener, subscribe at http://www.noted.co.nz/the-listener/ | |
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The Listener | | 14th October 2017 |
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| 2017 | Radio NZ Nine to Noon: Is ACC 'passing the buck' with prediction based evaluations? | | |
| Otago University researchers are warning that a computer-based risk prediction model to profile and target ACC clients may be compromising the agency's ability to make fair and humane decisions about the treatment of New Zealanders in need. ACC says the system, known as the "survival analysis model" has been used for three years and was designed to process claims more efficiently. Alistair Knott is from the University of Otago's Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project (AILNZ). He wants ACC to provide a public account of how it uses its predictive tool to make sure it isn't 'passing the buck' to a machine. AILNZ is funded by the NZ Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project. | | | 26th September 2017 |
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| 2017 | University of Otago: ACC's computer-aided decision-making questioned by Otago experts | | |
| University of Otago researchers are warning of the potential pitfalls in government departments using computer-based risk prediction models, as has been recently revealed through a controversial new tool used by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) to profile and target clients.
The ACC uses a computer model to assist staff managing claims. However, details of what the model does, and how it is used, are somewhat sketchy, says spokesperson for the University's Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project, Associate Professor James Maclaurin. | | | 25th September 2017 |
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| 2017 | Computer decision-making 'a real risk' - experts | | |
| Faculty of Law Professor Colin Gavaghan said predictive technologies showed potential for informing public decision-making. "But we are calling for ACC to provide a public account of how it uses its predictive tool, so as to maintain the integrity of its decision-making," he said. | | | 23rd September 2017 |
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| 2017 | On the road to driverless cars | | |
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| 2017 | The long game: Re-engineering your business for artificial intelligence | | |
| There's something of a battle raging around the world with the giants of the technology sector lining up on opposing sides on how society should deal with the massive adoption of artificial intelligence. In New Zealand those at the coalface of AI say business leaders should be starting to prepare for AI, to understand the downstream impacts on their business and start getting in place a dedicated investment stream to re-engineer their business for the future.
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Dr Colin Gavaghan of Otago University is leading a New Zealand Law Foundation study looking at the possible implications of AI innovations for law and public policy in New Zealand. | |
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New Zealand Management | | 21st September 2017 |
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| 2017 | Presentation to The Treasury: The Disruptive Potential of Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology | | |
| Blockchain, the technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies such as Ether, is relatively new. The idea of Blockchain and the broader distributed ledger technology (DLT) - cryptographically locked peer-to-peer databases upon which new transactions can be appended, but previous transactions never deleted or changed - is deceptively simple, yet its effects are profound. As The Economist has stated, "[t]he technology behind bitcoin could transform how the economy works." For example, just as crypto currencies have technically removed the need for intermediaries such as banks for some transactions, trusted intermediaries in other industries may be similarly redundant. Even the disrupters AirBnB and Uber, may in turn be disrupted. DLT is not, however, limited to decentralised uses. Financial institutions, industries such as insurance and shipping, governments and even central banks are actively working on transforming their services and reducing costs through the use of DLT. | |
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Guest Lecture at The Treasury | | 6th September 2017 |
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| 2017 | Auckland University Professor: Government Must Regulate Bitcoin & Ethereum | | |
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| 2017 | The rise of Artificial Intelligence | | |
| In an effort to understand and figure out some of the complex issues raised by Artificial Intelligence, the University of Otago announced a three-year project earlier this year with support from the Law Foundation, with the aim of looking into the possible implications of AI for law and public policy. | |
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Boardroom Magazine, Institute of Directors | | 29th August 2017 |
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| 2017 | Auckland University Associate Professor Alex Sims on why the Government needs to get up with the play and start regulating cryptocurrencies | | |
| Auckland University Commercial Law Head of Department, Associate Professor Alex Sims, says legitimising digital payment systems through regulation is the first step to being able to make the most of blockchain technology.
In her eyes, regulating cryptocurrencies is more than just about enabling bitcoin investors to trade on secure platforms. It's about laying the groundwork for all sorts of sectors to use blockchain technology to automate transactions, and transform the economy.
With blockchain already disrupting the way we do business, Sims says we can either resist it, or use it to our advantage. | |
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Jenee Tibshraeny at www.interest.co.nz | | 28th August 2017 |
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| 2017 | Getting to grips with artificial intelligence | | |
| Artificial intelligence (AI) is now the name of the game, with a multitude of industries and occupations embracing it with open arms. The legal profession is no exception and faces complex and diverse challenges as it comes to grips with technology that has the potential, among other things, to create AI lawyers. | |
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ADLS | | 21st July 2017 |
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| 2017 | Cybercurrency exchange offers more than bitcoin for New Zealand dollars | | |
| University of Auckland Business school professor Alex Sims is leading a team developing the Trans-Tasman framework for blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
Blockchain acts like a public ledger for cryptocurrency transactions made up of a network of computers that process transactions.
This safeguards the system, because the network of servers would need to be individually hacked in order for the transaction amount to be altered - an impossible task, Sims said.
Sims said the lack of regulation, and banks behaviour towards cybercurrency businesses was short-sighted. | |
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Julie Iles, www.stuff.co.nz | | 11th June 2017 |
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| 2017 | New projects prepare NZ for the information revolution | | |
| The Law Foundation's new, dedicated $2 million fund for information law and policy research has kick-started some exciting new projects that will better prepare New Zealand for the challenges of the information age. | | | 2nd February 2017 |
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| 2017 | Major new study to tackle artificial intelligence law and policy | | |
| The possible implications of artificial intelligence (AI) innovations for law and public policy in New Zealand will be teased out in a new, ground-breaking Law Foundation study. A three-year multi-disciplinary project, supported by a $400,000 Law Foundation grant, is being run out of Otago University. Project team leader Dr Colin Gavaghan says that AI technologies - essentially, technologies that can learn and adapt for themselves - pose fascinating legal, practical and ethical challenges. | | | 19th January 2017 |
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| 2016 | Cryptocurrency in crossfire as surge in dodgy transactions reported to police intel | | |
| Auckland University academic, Associate Professor Alex Sims, has warned that a climate of fear around Bitcoin and similar currencies could deprive New Zealanders of the technology's benefits. The NZ Law Foundation is funding a study in which Alex and legal & banking experts are examining regulation of Blockchain, the data structure powering Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. | |
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John Weekes, NZ Herald | | 24th December 2016 |
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| 2016 | Blockchain: Regulating a game-changing technology | | |
| "We are on the cusp of radical change, and this poses challenges for lawmakers and regulators around the world. ... Currently, there is no law regulating digital currencies in New Zealand. However, some people have had bank accounts closed because the bank suspected they were dealing in a digital currency," says Associate Professor Alex Sims, head of the Business School's Department of Commercial Law. |
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UABS Insights, Business School, University of Auckland | | 20th December 2016 |
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| 2016 | Three new projects funded from the ILAPP Fund | | |
| The New Zealand Law Foundation is delighted to announce research awards from the recent applications considered under the Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP). ILAPP is a catalyst for some exciting new research that will better prepare New Zealand for the challenges of the information age. The results of the research will be aimed at helping law- and policy-makers keep up with the bewildering pace of change across the technology spectrum. The New Zealand Law Foundation extends its thanks to all applicants who participated in the recent round. | | | 15th December 2016 |
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| 2016 | Cryptocurrency, in Quarterly Typology Report Q1, Financial Intelligence Unit, NZ Police | | |
| Research, led by the University of Auckland Business School is being carried out by the Law Foundation's NZD 2 million Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP. The research, titled "Regulating Digital Currencies that use Blockchain Technology", deals with one of the most game-changing and challenging technology innovations in the world of business and finance. The aim of the research is to develop a legal framework for Blockchain regulation in New Zealand and Australia and to ensure the utmost balance between the interests of Blockchain stakeholders and the interests of regulators. | | | 15th December 2016 |
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| 2016 | Trans-Tasman banking and legal experts focus on blockchain | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims leads a team of legal and banking experts to look into devising a Trans-Tasman framework to regulate the game-changing technology behind Bitcoin and some 300 other cryptocurrencies. | | | 29th November 2016 |
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| 2016 | Auckland University academic leading research project on regulating digital currencies keen to see consumers, not just banks, benefit | | |
| "There's a lot of work being done all around the world on crypto-currencies. What we're doing is looking at what's going on and then we're going to make suggestions for how that could be regulated in New Zealand or Australia," says Alexandra Sims, associate professor and head of commercial law at the University of Auckland Business School. "We're not coming from a bank, we're independent researchers. We're not trying to prop up any current business models or anything," Sims said. She notes that banks and credit card companies are aware their role as gate-keepers and middlemen is under threat. | |
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Gareth Vaughan at www.interest.co.nz | | 29th November 2016 |
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| 2016 | Blockchain rules: regulating a game-changing new technology | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims from the University of Auckland, who is leading the team tasked with developing the Trans-Tasman framework thanks to a Law Foundation grant of about $50,000, says: "We're on the cusp of radical and disruptive change, and this poses challenges for lawmakers and regulators around the world. With major companies such as Microsoft now accepting virtual currency payments, it's feasible that blockchain technology will become ubiquitous within the next decade." | | | 28th November 2016 |
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| 2016 | Regulating revolutionary new digital currencies | | |
| University of Auckland Business School Associate Professor Alexandra Sims is lead researcher for the Foundation's new project examining the regulation of digital currencies that use blockchain technology. She says digital currencies are poised to revolutionise the finance world and beyond, and pose challenges for lawmakers and regulators around the world. | | | 8th November 2016 |
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| 2016 | Determining our future: Artificial Intelligence | | |
| Opportunities and challenges for New Zealand: A call to action.
We also call for greater collaboration and co-ordination among AI researchers, policymakers and industry members at sector level. We welcome the New Zealand Law Foundation's recent launch of the Information Law & Policy Project to develop law and policy around information technology, data, information and cyber-security. We encourage similar work in other sectors where AI will play an important role. | | | 14th October 2016 |
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| 2016 | Research is Underway on Regulating New Digital Currencies | | |
| The first research project for the Law Foundation's $2m Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP)* is already underway.
It is titled "Regulating Digital Currencies that use Blockchain Technology" and it deals with one of the most game-changing and challenging technology innovations in the world of business and finance.
University of Auckland Business School Associate Professor Alexandra Sims is the lead researcher for this project. She says digital currencies are poised to revolutionise the finance world and beyond, and this poses challenges for lawmakers and regulators around the world. | | | 13th October 2016 |
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| 2016 | New project to prepare NZ for technology change impacts | | |
| As New Zealand's major funder of independent legal research, the Law Foundation is uniquely placed to run this project. We will work collaboratively with government and private interests, but the research outcomes must serve the wider public rather than any particular vested interest. We expect the projects to have practical outcomes, in particular on how New Zealand can gain commercially, and be protected, through technology developments. While the rapidly-evolving information landscape makes the development of lasting law and policy solutions especially challenging, we expect the projects to identify ongoing issues and propose solution frameworks. | | | 8th September 2016 |
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| 2016 | Unveils ILAPP project | | |
| We expect the projects to have practical outcomes, in particular on how New Zealand can gain commercially, and be protected, through technology developments. For example, how can New Zealand's predominantly small businesses, lacking expertise and scale, unlock the economic value of their data?" [quoting Lynda Hagen, Director of the New Zealand Law Foundation] | | | 25th August 2016 |
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| 2016 | $2 million information law research fund launched | | |
| [The Law Foundation] says university law schools are working closely with it on the project and a special feature will be the collaborative approach to research. | | | 25th August 2016 |
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| 2016 | NZ Law Foundation launches $2M information law and policy research fund | | |
| The New Zealand Law Foundation has taken the wraps off an independent, $2 million research fund that seeks to support projects that prepare policy and legislature for the rapid advance of information technology. | | | 24th August 2016 |
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| 2016 | Information Law and Policy Project launched - an important contribution | | |
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| 2016 | $2m fund launched to support IT law policy | | |
| University law schools are collaborating with the foundation and other consultants include the government's 2015 cyber-security strategy, InternetNZ, the Innovation Partnership, the Data Futures Partnership, Google New Zealand, Spark and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. | | | 23rd August 2016 |
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| 2016 | New $2M fund for research on information challenges | | |
| A new, independent $2 million research fund is now available for projects that will better prepare New Zealand for the challenges of the information age."The New Zealand Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP), launched at Parliament tonight by Justice and Communications Minister Amy Adams, will develop law and policy around IT, data, information and cyber-security. | | | 23rd August 2016 |
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