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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

Copper Prices Hold Near Three-Week Low Amid Strong Dollar and Global Slowdown Fears

London copper prices stabilized on Tuesday after earlier slipping to a three-week low, as market sentiment remained pressured by a strengthening U.S. dollar and growing concerns over a potential global economic slowdown....

RBA Raises Interest Rates to 4.35% Amid Rising Inflation Risks and Middle East Tensions

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) increased its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.35% on Tuesday, a move widely anticipated by markets. The decision reflects growing concerns over inflation, particularly as...

Asian Currencies Hold Steady as RBA Rate Hike and Middle East Tensions Shape Market Sentiment

Asian currencies traded in a narrow range on Tuesday as investors remained cautious amid escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran, while also focusing on central bank policy signals. Market...

European Stocks Volatile as U.S.-Iran Tensions Threaten Oil Supply and Global Markets

European stock markets showed volatility on Tuesday as escalating tensions between the United States and Iran raised concerns about global oil supply disruptions and economic stability. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index...

Iran Warns No Military Fix for Hormuz Crisis as Talks Show Progress

Irans Foreign Minister Seyed Araghchi has cautioned that escalating military actions will not resolve the ongoing Hormuz crisis, emphasizing instead the importance of diplomatic negotiations. In a recent statement,...

Politics

NATO Tensions Rise as Trump Reduces U.S. Troops in Germany

European leaders are intensifying diplomatic efforts to keep the United States committed to NATO as tensions escalate following President Donald Trumps controversial decision to withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany....

Dominican Republic Halts GoldQuest Mining Project Amid Environmental Protests

The Dominican Republic has ordered the suspension of all activities tied to GoldQuest Minings proposed gold and copper development, following large-scale protests driven by environmental concerns. President Luis Abinader...

South Korea Probes Explosion on HMM Vessel in Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions

South Korea announced an investigation into the cause of an explosion and fire aboard a South Korean-operated cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. The incident, which occurred on Monday,...

Armed Suspect Shot Near White House After Firing at Secret Service Officers

A tense security incident unfolded near the White House on Monday when U.S. Secret Service officers confronted an armed and suspicious individual, leading to an exchange of gunfire and a brief lockdown of the area....

Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical but Stable Condition After Pneumonia

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is recovering in a Florida hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia, according to his spokesperson. The 81-year-old political figure remains in critical but stable condition,...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Intel Emerges as Key Contender in Apple’s Chip Manufacturing Strategy Shift

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is reportedly exploring new partnerships with Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) and Samsung Electronics (KS: 005930) to manufacture its main processors, signaling a potential shift in its long-standing...

Palantir Reports Record Growth, Raises 2026 Revenue Outlook Above Expectations

Palantir Technologies delivered its strongest sales growth since going public, reporting impressive first-quarter 2026 results that exceeded Wall Street expectations and boosted investor confidence. The company announced...

Anthropic Secures $1.5B AI Venture Backed by Wall Street Giants, Shaking Software Sector

Anthropic has reportedly secured $1.5 billion in funding for a new artificial intelligence joint venture backed by major Wall Street firms, signaling a significant shift in the AI and enterprise software landscape....

Meta Plans $13B AI Data Center Financing in Texas Amid Surging Big Tech Investment

Meta Platforms is reportedly partnering with Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase to secure a massive $13 billion financing package for its planned data center in El Paso, Texas. According to sources cited by Reuters, the...

Anthropic’s $1.5B AI Venture with Wall Street Firms Targets Private Equity Market

Anthropic is reportedly nearing completion of a major $1.5 billion joint venture with leading financial institutions, including Blackstone and Goldman Sachs, aimed at expanding the use of artificial intelligence tools...