LETS Lab is a newly formed research group in Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences in School of Law and Criminology
Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Director’s note
To many October is the month of pumpkin-spiced lattes, cosy jumpers and warm autumn colours. To the few geeks among you (we salute you, friends!) October will always be the month that the first message was sent over -what later became known as – “the internet”.
To us though, this will be the month that we published our first Newsletter, and we are damn proud of this! At LETS Lab, we are fascinated by the ways in which the advancements in technology and science intersect with the law and challenge conventional legal thinking. We would like to share this passion with you through this Newsletter.
This is a new adventure for us and no doubt the road will be bumpy! Our editor-in-chief, Isabelle de Oliveira has worked hard to make sure that this newsletter together with a cuppa and a biscuit will be something to look forward to on the third Monday of the month. Enjoy our first Newsletter – this first edition is packed with news, exciting readings and job opportunities.
Dr Argyro Karanasiou Founding Director, LETS Lab
Editor’s note
A bit about me…
My name is Isabelle and I am a 3rd year Law Student. As the editor in chief, I am very excited about this newsletter and very interested in continuing to learn more about Information Technology Law and the everyday developments of technology!
I will be the one organising this newsletter and who you would be in contact with if you have any queries. If you want to be part of the newsletter, do not hesitate on contacting us!
| October News: YouTube apologises for mocking long videos After updating their advertisement policies leading to creators making longer videos to better monetize their money, YouTube makes a joke mocking the creators and Tweets later apologising. Do they have freedom of expression online? The Wire Inspired a Fake Turtle Egg That Spies on Poachers Based on HBO The Wire and an episode of Breaking Bad, real life researchers developed the InvestEGGator, a 3D printed turtle egg with a transmitter device inside to track poachers that are trafficking with them. Coronavirus: YouTube bans misleading Covid-19 vaccine videos The company has said to have removed already 20,000 dangerous or misleading videos regarding claims about Covid-19 vaccines. This was also due to political pressure as the UK has received criticism over the amount of time they are taking to deal with online misinformation (and more issues) involving social media giants. Judge halts Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) Facebook case after Max Schrems High Court action Max Schrems, a privacy and data rights activist, brought judicial review proceedings regarding Facebook Ireland’s transfer of data to its US-based parent. The DPC made a draft decision that personal data should not be transferred out of the EU as the transfers made failed to guarantee a level of protection. Facebook responsible for 94% of 69 million child sex abuse images reported by US tech firms Facebook has previously announced its plans to encrypt communications in its Messenger app, Instagram and WhatsApp. The UK and other 7 nations fear how this change will impact on their ability to target paedophiles and protect children online. IRS may put cryptocurrency question at the top of 1040 to catch cheaters The Internal Revenue Service is trying to track the underreporting of cryptocurrency profits. It is planning to ask tax filers if they dealt, received, sold, exchanged, or otherwise acquired any virtual currency in 2020. |
EVENTS
Please note, when clicking on the title of each event, it will take you directly to the website to sign up.
23rd of October (3-5pm)
Online Panel: “You’ve been h(A)Ired! – The use of AI in Recruitment” We are pleased to announce the first event in our LETS Lab Digital Lounge series! It boasts an impressive line-up of experts discussing technical and legal aspects of AI systems in employment.
26th October (4-6pm)
“Technology and the law — with Ashurst”
Described by Legal Cheek as: a panel of speakers – including lawyers from Ashurst’s Advance Delivery team and its fintech group – will give their views on what developments we can expect during the 2020s.
28th October (12-1pm)
“Technology and innovation in legal services”
This webinar, hosted by BPP’s Chris Sykes, explores how innovation and technology are being used to deliver legal services. More importantly, it explains what you can do to prepare.
10th November (5:30-7pm)
“Science, evidence, and government; reflections on the covid-19 experience” Four senior academics from the University of Cambridge, who have been advising policy makers during covid-19, will draw on their extensive experience and will reflect on some of the lessons, debates and controversies associated with governmental responses to the pandemic.
Opportunities
Virtual Internet and Society Fellowship 2021
Time frame: 3-6 months between May and December 2021
Application deadline: 22 November 2020 They invite applications from early and advanced researchers with diverse backgrounds and professional experiences, who wish to contribute to the range of the institute’s transdisciplinary internet research.
Read/Write/Listen
“Content Regulation and the Digital Platform Economy”
Our latest LETS Lab report, co-authored by Dr A Karanasiou, Dr A Diker Vanberg and Mr Charalampos Kliaris, has been submitted to the Forum on Information and Democracy to aid the Infodemics WG work, chaired by Maria Ressa and Marietje Schaake.
“Philosophy 24/7: The future of privacy”
Carissa Véliz is a philosopher at Oxford University and author of Privacy is Power. She argues that the harvesting of data is undermining liberal democracy.
Interesting note of the month
As University has now started, taking notes in your laptop can be easier than ever with technology! Check the video below to see what could be best for you:
Contact Us
We are always happy to hear from you – if you have any ideas, comments, wish to join us, or simply wish to connect drop us a line at letslabnews@gmail.com
If someone has forwarded this to you and you would like to receive our monthly newsletter, you can subscribe by visitng this link http://eepurl.com/hfzKfL
Please check our social media accounts by clicking on the icons below. There we will keep you updated throughout the month!
“Let’s go invent tomorrow instead of
worrying about what happened yesterday”
Steve Jobs
