Author Archives: bhaggart

The New Knowledge: We dropped a classic today

Posted on July 13, 2023 by bhaggart

My new book, with Natasha Tusikov, The New Knowledge: Information, Data and the Remaking of Global Power is out today, via Rowman & Littlefield. It’s available for free as an open-access download (thank you, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council … Continue reading →

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Blackmail as corporate power play: Some thoughts on the Google/Meta C-18 tantrum

Posted on July 5, 2023 by bhaggart

Interrupting my July vacation to highlight some points regarding Meta and Google’s high-stakes game of chicken with the Canadian government over Bill C-18. 1. This is not about money. It’s about power. I see that Michael Geist is arguing that … Continue reading →

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Some smoke, no fire: Government’s pandemic response found to have protected Canadians’ privacy rights

Posted on June 6, 2023 by bhaggart

Not really a catchy title, is it? Still, I think it’s worth highlighting the federal Privacy Commissioner’s report, published on May 30, that found that, “with some exceptions, that the measures implemented by the government during the pandemic complied with … Continue reading →

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New from me: Truth-Agnostic Chatbots Show the Need for a Search Alternative

Posted on March 13, 2023 by bhaggart

Over at CIGI. Is it a problem that search engine companies, whose only job is to return information that people can trust and use, have hitched their wagon to a technology that produces falsehoods? Yes. Yes it is. If companies … Continue reading →

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New(ish) from me: Tech world sees trust as a weakness not a glue

Posted on March 13, 2023 by bhaggart

Over at the Toronto Star, I discuss the question of trust and tech, focused on (wait for it…) Large Language Models and ChatGPT. Far too many of the more-optimistic takes on chatbots, say, how they will help people better express … Continue reading →

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