About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

30 Info. & Comm. Tech. L. 1 (2021)

handle is hein.journals/infctel30 and id is 1 raw text is: INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY LAW Routledae 2021, VOL. 30, NO. 1, 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1080/13600834.2020.1807135 Taylor & Francis Group EDITORIAL Information and communications technology law in changing times The articles in this special issue arise from papers presented at the Socio-Legal Studies Associ- ation Annual Conference in Leeds in 2019. Few would have predicted that within twelve months the Covid-19 pandemic would strike the World and lead to the cancellation of the 2020 cancellation conference of the Association. However, at the same time, few would now contest that the pandemic has changed how the World now sees and understands the central- ity of the role of information and communications technology in our daily lives. Almost over- night, whole populations have worked remotely, connected with each other through social media and engaged in online commercial transactions out of necessity rather than choice. While we have been moving in that direction in many ways, the pandemic has no doubt increased the take up of online activity to new levels. It is in that new context that this special issue now finds itself published. While the articles pre-date recent events, the issues raised by them now find themselves with even more impor- tance and relevance. While the pandemic arises from a public health crisis, the use of technol- ogy as a means of allowing economies and social worlds to still function transforms it into a legal problem as well. Information and communications technology law has always been about 'cutting edge' legal issues, but recent events have given the legal issues raised herein even greater relevance. This is now law for changing times. Reilly Willis explores the use of social media to bring about domestic legal change. If recent times have seen a resurgence in science and evidence-based decision making, then Willis' article reflects this in seeking to analyse empirical data to determine whether social media cam- paigns are as effective as we sometimes believe them to be. She also examines the methodo- logical challenges in applying this form of analysis, bringing to law an interdisciplinary focus that is necessary for this form of research. Her conclusions also suggest that our understanding of the usefulness of social media campaigns for bringing about legal change is more proble- matic than many consider. Robert Herian considers the concept of 'smart contracts' and how they are designed to give effect to the exchange of cryptoassets, for example, that is executed by machines and without the usual features of a contract as a consequence, a contract which as he describes it, arises from 'post-human technology'. His project thus involves determining whether a smart contract can be understood within traditional frameworks of contract law or whether in time they will replace them. His conclusions look to restitution as an area within which some form or harmony between the old and the new may reside, and there seems little doubt that this area of technology will continue to give rise to further conceptual challenges in the future. Cameron Giles provides a fascinating insight into how mobile dating apps can construct sexual health in a manner which reinforces certain notions as to who holds responsibility for preventing HIV transmission. Read in the current climate, the idea of dating apps including the health status of individuals and the messages that conveys raises a myriad of issues for This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most