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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

China Bank Lending Rebounds in September, Beats Forecasts

Chinas new bank lending surged in September, exceeding market expectations as Beijing intensified monetary stimulus measures to support its slowing economy. However, weak annual credit growth continued to highlight subdued...

Asian Stocks Fall as Oil Prices Rise Ahead of US CPI Data

Asian stock markets traded mostly lower on Wednesday as a brief recovery in artificial intelligence (AI) shares faded, while rising oil prices and uncertainty ahead of key U.S. inflation data weighed on investor sentiment....

S&P 500 Futures Rise Ahead of US Inflation Data and Bank Earnings

U.S. stock futures edged higher on Wednesday as investors awaited crucial inflation data and quarterly earnings from major Wall Street banks, with concerns over artificial intelligence financing continuing to influence...

Gaza Olive Harvest Collapses as War Destroys Farmland

Gazas olive harvest has plunged dramatically as widespread destruction of agricultural land leaves farmers struggling to recover their livelihoods, even a year after a ceasefire ended major fighting. In central Gaza,...

Italy’s Meloni Warns US-Russia Diesel Deal Could Weaken Ukraine Sanctions

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticized the recent US-Russia diesel supply agreement, warning that the arrangement could undermine Western sanctions against Moscow and weaken diplomatic efforts to end the war...

Politics

IMF Warns US Debt Crisis Needs Fiscal Action, Urges China to Boost Consumption

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the United States cannot rely solely on economic growth to reduce its mounting national debt, urging Washington to introduce fiscal adjustments. Meanwhile, China must...

SpaceX Starlink Restrictions Disrupt Ukraine Military Operations

SpaceX reportedly imposed new restrictions on Starlink satellite terminals used by Ukraines military on Tuesday, disrupting critical battlefield operations as tensions between Kyiv and Washington intensified amid continued...

Trump Announces Massive Oil and Mineral Exploration Plans in Greenland

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday evening that large-scale oil, natural gas, and mineral exploration activities are expected to begin in Greenland, highlighting the Arctic territorys vast resource potential and...

China Resumes US Soybean Purchases After Trump-Xi Summit

China has resumed purchases of US soybeans, with state-owned trading companies securing between eight and 10 Panamax cargoes this week, marking the first major deals since Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in...

China Warns Taiwan Over South China Sea Coast Guard Incident

China has warned Taiwan of potential consequences after its Coast Guard used a water cannon against a Chinese fishing boat near the disputed Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, escalating tensions as Beijing increases...

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

Alibaba Unveils Qwen AI Smart Glasses, Shares Rise 2%

Alibaba Groups U.S.-listed shares climbed nearly 2% in pre-market trading on Wednesday after the Chinese technology giant introduced its latest Qwen AI smart glasses, strengthening its push into artificial...

ASML Raises 2026 Sales Forecast as AI Chip Demand Surges

ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment giant, has raised its full-year 2026 revenue forecast after posting record third-quarter sales, fueled by accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) investments and growing demand for...

Arm Breaches Qualcomm License Deal, Jury Awards $2

A Delaware jury has ruled that Arm Holdings violated its licensing agreement with Qualcomm and intentionally interfered with the chipmakers business relationship with Meta Platforms. However, the jury awarded Qualcomm just...

Nvidia Invests in Four French AI Companies to Expand European Presence

Nvidia Corp is expanding its presence in Europes artificial intelligence market through agreements to acquire minority stakes in four French technology companies, according to a report published Tuesday by French newspaper...

OpenAI Uses AI to Uncover Hidden Recording Device, FBI Makes Arrest

OpenAI has revealed that its artificial intelligence models played a crucial role in investigating a hidden recording device discovered inside one of its offices. The unusual security incident resulted in an employee being...