Digital Society

Helping policymakers identify and respond to technology’s challenges, enabling society to harness the benefits of the new information economy

Research, commentary, and events

Project
Protecting human rights in the digital age
01 Feb 2021

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has commissioned RAND Europe to conduct a study aimed at identifying and scoping impactful ideas for interventions and activities to foster and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms online.
Project
The use of public engagement for technological innovation
29 Jan 2021

Because different public engagement techniques may be more or less effective in promoting selected outcomes, researchers found that a diverse range of techniques should be used to engage the public in technological innovation.
Project
Helping to inform the future of research and innovation in Norway
04 Jan 2021

Through a mixed-methods, participatory approach, researchers are helping the Research Council of Norway to develop a strong and resilient research and innovation environment in Norway in the strategic areas of oceans, green transition, health and welfare, cohesion and globalisation, and technology and digitalisation.
Project
Technology and the future of cybercrime
15 Dec 2020

To prepare for and mitigate the impact of emerging technologies on cybercrime, Estonia could consider broad anti-cybercrime capacity building; seek legal, regulatory and organisational agility; and invest in technological expertise, skills and research.
Project
Using social media data to ‘nowcast’ migration around the globe
05 Nov 2020

Because official statistics can be delayed or fail to correctly capture the full extent of migration, making informed policy decisions can be a challenge. Researchers are developing an approach to compute near real-time migration estimates for Europe and the United States using social media data.
Project
Assessing the impacts of digital government transformation in the EU
26 Jun 2020

A case study on the use of body worn cameras by police forces in the UK offers an example of how governments can potentially take advantage of emerging digital technologies to address systemic challenges.
Commentary
A Machine Learning Approach Could Help Counter Disinformation
25 Jun 2020

Disinformation has become a central feature of the COVID-19 crisis. This type of malign information and high-tech “deepfake” imagery poses a risk to democratic societies worldwide by increasing public mistrust in governments and public authorities. New research highlights new ways to detect and dispel disinformation online.
Project
Exploring the criminal use of Zcash and cryptocurrencies
06 May 2020

While most transactions made with virtual coins are legitimate, cryptocurrencies have also been used for criminal purposes. Researchers found no evidence of widespread illicit use of Zcash, but that may be because malicious users do not fully understand its operating model.
Commentary
COVID-19: The Questions Ahead for Future Travel and Transport
15 Apr 2020

COVID-19 could have lasting effects on future travel patterns. Future scenarios, a method for visualizing different possible futures, can help inform decisions in deeply uncertain situations and can be used to think about policies that are important for people's quality of life regardless of how the future unfolds.
Commentary
It Is More Important Than Ever for Employers to Look After Staff Health and Wellbeing
09 Apr 2020

COVID-19 will likely have a direct effect on the health and wellbeing of employees. While many employers responding to the COVID-19 crisis have understandably been concerned with business resilience, processes, and performance, it is important that they also continue to focus on the health and wellbeing of staff.
Commentary
How to Contain the Disinformation Virus
09 Apr 2020

Like COVID-19, disinformation spreads only if we help it spread. While we have all been asked to stay at home as responsible citizens to contain the virus, we should also feel responsible for making it harder for disinformation to spread.
Commentary
Our Actions Determine What We Read and See Online. Algorithms Are Only a Part of That Process
07 Feb 2020

As social media has increasingly become the main outlet for people to acquire news and opinion, there are concerns about the effect of algorithm-driven services on the spread of misleading information. But the issue doesn't merely lie with how social platforms use algorithms to deliver content.
Project
Measuring migration using big data
12 Dec 2019

Social media data may help decisionmakers to 'nowcast' migration flows and stocks of migrants. A team of researchers attempted to develop a method of measuring real-time mobility and migration. The results of the study were promising.
Project
How does the pharmaceutical industry reuse health data?
12 Nov 2019

Several important factors can support or hinder the reuse of pharmaceutical data in the EU, including the availability, interoperability and quality of data; data analytic skills and experience; and the presence of clear and uniform regulations.
Project
Tackling the challenges of algorithm-driven social media
30 Oct 2019

Improving consumers' media literacy could reduce their vulnerability to disinformation. Researchers propose a behavioural science experiment to encourage people to be more aware of their own online behaviour