Issues

“It’s a scavenger hunt”: Usability of Websites’ Opt-Out and Data Deletion Choices

Privacy laws require websites to offer consumers options such as the choice to opt out of advertising or to delete account data. On many sites, these options are poorly labelled and hard to find.

The Economics of Markets and Platforms

Some economic models omit intermediaries, entrepreneurs, and other key factors in dynamic markets. The study of platforms like eBay and Etsy leads to the development of more realistic economic models.

Restricting Speech to Protect It

Attitudes to cyber harassment have changed. Lawmakers, law enforcement officers, and the public recognize that online stalking, threats, and “revenge porn” interferes with victim’s ability to speak and engage online.

More Than Money: Correlation Among Worker Demographics, Motivations, and Participation in Online Labor Market

Demographic factors such as age, gender, education and income sources explain participation in online labor markets such as Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Men and women feel equal pressure to earn money, but schedule work differently.

Big Data, Health Law, and Bioethics

Big data is expected to transform health care and medicine. Today’s ethical guidelines and laws may not adequately protect users against threats to privacy and the risk of discrimination. Third-party firms may function as go-betweens for patients and health care providers.

Auctions versus Posted Prices in Online Markets

When eBay first became popular, most sellers listed goods for sale in an auction format. Over time, posted prices began to predominate. Sellers were influenced by two factors, growing competition between sellers, and buyers’ preference for the convenience of posted prices.

Facebook Was Letting Down Users Years Before Cambridge Analytica

In 2011, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that Facebook had deceived users about how much data it shared with third-party apps, and how that data was used. Facebook was required to ensure that outsiders did not obtain such data, but failed to do so.

Law, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) will be widely used for social and commercial purposes. AR and VR will sometimes be used to harm others, testing the limits of criminal, civil, and constitutional law.

The Many Revolutions of Carpenter

The Supreme Court’s opinion in Carpenter v. United States is revolutionary. The Supreme Court recognizes that Fourth Amendment privacy rights were intended to preserve a society free of constant surveillance.

The First Amendment in the Second Gilded Age

Social media firms give users freedom of speech in exchange for access to personal data. The digital public sphere depends on the business models of firms like Google and Twitter.