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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

Mexico-US Trade Talks Delayed to October as Tariff Negotiations Continue

The fourth round of Mexico-US trade talks is unlikely to take place next week and could be postponed until October as both countries navigate a busy diplomatic schedule, according to a senior Mexican trade official. Luis...

Australia Unemployment Hits Five-Year High Despite Strong Jobs Growth

Australias labour market delivered mixed signals in August as employment growth comfortably exceeded expectations, while the unemployment rate climbed to its highest level in nearly five years amid increased participation...

Asian Stocks Fall as Bond Yields Surge Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Asian stocks mostly declined on Thursday as surging global bond yields weighed on risk appetite, while investors awaited a closely watched meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping....

Gold Prices Fall as Treasury Yields Rise on Fed Rate Hike Bets

Gold prices edged lower on Thursday, extending pressure from the previous session as rising Treasury yields, stronger oil prices and a firm U.S. dollar fueled expectations that the Federal Reserve may continue raising...

Asian Currencies Mixed as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High

Asian currencies traded mixed on Thursday as the U.S. dollar hovered near a two-month high, supported by stronger U.S. economic data, renewed inflation concerns and growing expectations for another Federal Reserve rate...

Politics

OpenAI Agent Breaches Australia Medicare Data Portal

An OpenAI artificial intelligence agent gained unauthorized access to an Australian government Medicare statistics portal, prompting a federal investigation and renewed concerns about the cybersecurity risks posed by...

Taiwan Thanks US for Support Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Taiwans government on Thursday expressed gratitude for continued US support and said it remains in close communication with Washington as President Donald Trump prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in the US...

Netanyahu Takes Aim at Mamdani as Israel Election Nears

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use his United Nations address on Thursday to criticize New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as the Israeli leader faces international pressure and a closely watched...

Russian Missile and Drone Attack on Kyiv Kills Two, Damages Maternity Hospital

Russia launched a major missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Thursday, killing two people and damaging residential buildings, medical facilities and other infrastructure across the Ukrainian capital, according to...

Judge Orders Trump to Restore White House Access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico

A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trumps administration to temporarily restore White House press access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ruling that the administrations ban on the three...

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

Tencent Launches TenPayGo Payment App for Foreign Tourists in China

Tencent has launched TenPayGo, a new mobile payment app designed to make digital transactions easier for international travelers visiting China, as the technology giant looks to benefit from growing inbound tourism ahead...

China’s ‘Lipstick King’ Says AI Won’t Replace Livestream Hosts

Chinas livestream shopping industry is entering a slower phase, but Li Jiaqi, the influential presenter known as the Lipstick King, believes artificial intelligence will complement rather than replace human hosts. Li, who...

Meta Unveils Muse Charm AI Device, Expands Smart Glasses Lineup

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) unveiled a palm-sized device designed specifically for its Muse artificial intelligence agent on Wednesday, alongside an expanded lineup of smart glasses and new AI capabilities. CEO Mark...

SoftBank Raises $11.1 Billion in Bond Sale to Fund OpenAI Investment

SoftBank Group has raised $11.1 billion through a major dollar- and euro-denominated bond offering as the Japanese technology investment giant builds up cash to finance its expanding artificial intelligence investments,...

Meta Connect Spotlights Camera-Free Smart Glasses Amid Privacy Concerns

Meta Platforms opened its annual Connect conference on Wednesday, with the technology giant expected to introduce new smart glasses as it seeks to expand its lead in AI-powered wearable devices while addressing mounting...