This course explores how law and policy is shaping and being shaped by digital economies. Big technology companies dominate the stock exchange and Fortune 500. Mobile apps support mega marketplaces, supported by seamless online payments systems. Gig economy networks are disrupting traditional service and employment models. This ecosystem is fueled by data. Our every movement, search, post, sentiment, purchase, and deletion is saved, scraped, stored, analysed, and sold. Our personal information is being harvested and fed back to us. Topics include:

Defamation on social media

Industrial relations in gig economies

The supreme court of Facebook

Accountability of algorithms

Smart contracts in financial markets

Crypto-bubbles and Ponzi schemes

The legal and policy challenges to be examined include deciding jurisdiction, identifying participants, antitrust regulation, monitoring taxable events and financial surveillance.

Textbooks:

Prescribed Texts: PA Ryan, Trust and Distrust in Digital Economies (Routledge, 2019) - ebook available at https://www.routledge.com/Trust-and-Distrust-in-Digital-Economies/Ryan/p...

This information is correct at the time of publication and although we endeavour to pre-empt any planned new editions; the class summary will provide the final textbook edition confirmation.

Readings/E brick will be made available on Wattle two weeks prior to the course commencement date.