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Rob Nicholls

Senior lecturer in Business Law, UNSW

Dr Rob Nicholls is a senior lecturer in business law at the UNSW Business School.
He was previously a research fellow at Swinburne University of Technology where he worked on spectrum policy matters and a research fellow at the Centre for International Finance and Regulation where he researched the intersection of competition law with financial services regulations. His research applies system and network analysis techniques, commonly used in networked industries, to examine error amplification. Rob is the Independent Telecommunications Adjudicator in a regime established to deal with wholesale disputes arising over both legacy services and migration to the NBN. He has had a thirty-year career concentrating on regulations and governance, particularly in networked industries. He has worked for Webb Henderson, the ACCC and Gilbert + Tobin.

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

Mar 26, 2026 08:53 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Social media platforms Instagram and YouTube have a design defect which means they are addictive, a jury in the United States has ruled. The Los Angeles jury took nearly nine days to reach its verdict in the landmark case...

Google is worth more in Australia than major news outlets. Here’s how it could better fund journalism

Sep 19, 2024 01:24 am UTC| Technology

The Global Media Internet Concentration Project examines the concentration of the communications and media in countries around the world. The latest data for Australia have recently been released, and they show just how...

Do you trust AI to write the news? It already is – and not without issues

Nov 07, 2023 08:56 am UTC| Technology

Businesses are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate media content, including news, to engage their customers. Now, were even seeing AI used for the gamification of news that is, to create...

The power of tech giants has made them as influential as nations. Here's how they're sanctioning Russia

Mar 07, 2022 08:59 am UTC| Technology

The worlds five leading tech companies Google (now Alphabet), Apple, Facebook (now Meta), Amazon and Microsoft have taken steps to impose significant and (mainly) voluntary sanctions on Russia, in response to its...

If Facebook really pulls news from its Australian sites, we'll have a much less compelling product

Sep 02, 2020 14:08 pm UTC| Technology

Facebook will ban publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram if a proposal to force tech giants to pay for news becomes law, the tech giant has announced. The...

No more negotiating: new rules could finally force Google and Facebook to pay for news

Apr 22, 2020 12:49 pm UTC| Technology

Digital platforms such as Google and Facebook will be forced to compensate news media companies for using their content, under a new mandatory code to be drawn up by Australias competition watchdog. The announcement,...

Why you might be paying more for your airfare than the person seated next to you

Oct 09, 2018 12:52 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Price discrimination is legal in Australia where sellers will typically pick an opening price based on the likelihood that someone will pay it. We take a look at how you can get the best deal on airfares in the second part...

Economy

Trump Announces Iran Deal, Strait of Hormuz Reopening Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that a proposed agreement between the United States and Iran is effectively complete, highlighting plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and remove the U.S. naval blockade on...

Lazard Challenges Centerview for Role in Venezuela’s Massive Debt Restructuring

Investment bank Lazard has reportedly offered a $25 million proposal to replace Centerview Partners as Venezuelas financial adviser in what could become one of the largest sovereign debt restructurings in history,...

Switzerland Rejects Population Cap Proposal, Preserving EU Labor Ties

Switzerland has rejected a proposal to cap its population at 10 million people, with voters choosing economic stability and strong relations with the European Union over concerns about rising immigration, housing...

Goldman Sachs: US Dollar Likely to Stay Strong Despite Oil Price Retreat

The U.S. dollar is expected to remain well-supported in the near term despite the recent decline in oil prices, according to a new Goldman Sachs analysis. While lower crude prices have eased concerns about a severe global...

Russia Stocks End at Six-Month Low as MOEX Index Stalls, Gold Surges and Oil Retreats

Russian stocks closed mixed on Saturday, with the MOEX Russia Index finishing flat at 0.00% and touching its lowest level in six months. Investor sentiment remained cautious as gains in select stocks were offset by...

Politics

Mitch McConnell Hospitalized After Medical Incident in Washington

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell was admitted to a hospital on Sunday morning following a medical incident, according to a statement released by his spokesperson. The Kentucky Republican, who has served in the Senate for...

Trump Opposes FISA Renewal Without SAVE Act Voting Requirement

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would oppose any renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) unless lawmakers include provisions from the SAVE Act, a measure aimed at strengthening voter...

US-Iran Peace Deal Nears as Ceasefire Agreement Set for Switzerland Signing

The United States and Iran have reportedly reached a landmark agreement aimed at ending months of conflict, with an official signing ceremony scheduled for Friday in Switzerland, according to Pakistani Prime Minister...

Anthropic Officials Meet White House Over AI Model Outage

Senior executives and technical leaders from Anthropic are reportedly in Washington, D.C., holding discussions with White House officials in an effort to resolve a dispute that has affected access to the companys most...

G7 Summit Protest in Geneva Turns Violent as Demonstrators Clash with Police

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Geneva on Sunday ahead of the G7 Summit in neighboring France, with demonstrations escalating into violent clashes between activists and police. Authorities deployed tear gas...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

SpaceX Stock Gets $175 Target as Analysts See Massive Growth Ahead

SpaceX stock (NASDAQ: SPCX) has received an optimistic initiation from Wolfe Research, which assigned a $175 price target shortly after the company completed what is being described as the largest IPO in history. The...

SpaceX IPO Sparks Market Optimism as Shares Surge 19% on Trading Debut

SpaceX delivered one of the most significant stock market debuts in recent years, boosting investor confidence and signaling strong demand for high-growth companies despite recent market volatility. The aerospace giant,...

AI Memory Boom Sparks Global Chip Supply Crunch

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is creating a structural shortage in the global memory chip market, according to a recent Morgan Stanley report. The investment bank warns that soaring...

Anthropic Restricts Global Access to AI Models After U.S. Security Review

Anthropic has suspended access to its advanced AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, for users outside the United States following new U.S. export restrictions, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The decision highlights...

SpaceX IPO Set for Explosive Debut as Valuation Tops $2.2 Trillion

SpaceX is poised for one of the most historic stock market debuts ever, with shares expected to open nearly 30% above their initial public offering (IPO) price. According to preliminary Nasdaq data, SpaceX stock (NASDAQ:...