{"title":"Uncovering the impact of IP location display on user behavior in China's social platforms: A policy-driven analysis","authors":"Jiaxuan Li , Yifan Luo , Qinjian Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102978","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102978","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To explore the impact of IP location display policies on user behavior on social media platforms, this study conducted a main experiment and three extended experiments. Based on Panopticon theory and Privacy calculus theory, this study used a Difference-in-Differences approach in the main experiment to analyze the impact of IP location display policies on the user comments volume, emotion expression and privacy disclosure. Additionally, this study employed dynamic topic modeling, text mining techniques and Regression Discontinuity Design in the extended study to explore the geographical heterogeneity of IP location display policies, the impact on user comment dynamics, and location-based incivility. The findings not only deepen the understanding of social media privacy and IP location policy research, but also provide valuable insights for online policymakers, social media platform managers and Internet users about the impact of IP location display.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 6","pages":"Article 102978"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144240935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A question of strategic legislation: Can the EU deal with cybersecurity issues in space?","authors":"Francesco Cappelletti , Vagelis Papakonstantinou","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102954","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102954","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper explores the impact of novel and forthcoming regulations on the European Union's (EU) strategic projection, focusing on space systems and their wide-ranging effects on services for European citizens and related industries. By examining space legislation and cybersecurity, this research provides an analytical perspective on whether the EU has implemented strategic regulations in shared competency, focusing on space and international security. While European Member States face the challenge of implementing national space strategies, the relevance of the EU extends beyond internal market and industry considerations, showcasing the Union's capabilities in implementing regulations defined in this study as ‘strategic’.</div><div>This paper aims to contribute to the academic discourse by bridging the gap between legislative studies and cybersecurity in space. The idea is to use the space domain, examine the intersection of space systems and cybersecurity and its unique challenges, and propose a new framework for evaluating EU regulations as instruments of strategic power. The relevance of these domains allows the authors to present the concept of strategic legislation and its relevance for the future of the domains studied in this paper. The EU's unique characteristics of shared competencies in a shared domain (i.e., space) offer unique perspectives on the Union's potential to lead in establishing international standards for space cybersecurity while presenting theoretical insights and practical recommendations for further research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 5","pages":"Article 102954"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Transforming cybersecurity with agentic AI to combat emerging cyber threats","authors":"Nir Kshetri","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102976","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102976","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigates the transformative potential of agentic AI in cybersecurity, specifically addressing how it can enhance practices in response to emerging threats. It aims to explore how agentic AI can transform cybersecurity practices, particularly in addressing new and evolving threats, while also examining the cybersecurity risks associated with its integration. The research explores the possibilities for agentic AI to automate critical tasks within Security Operations Centers (SOCs), such as decision-making, incident response, and threat detection. It also emphasizes the risks associated with AI integration, including the introduction of new vulnerabilities and challenges in managing automated systems, which call for a reassessment of existing cybersecurity frameworks to effectively address these risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 6","pages":"Article 102976"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144240934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cornelia Brantner , Michael Karlsson , Joanne Kuai
{"title":"Sourcing behavior and the role of news media in AI-powered search engines in the digital media ecosystem: Comparing political news retrieval across five languages","authors":"Cornelia Brantner , Michael Karlsson , Joanne Kuai","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102952","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102952","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the role of news media in the context of generative AI-enhanced search engines, focusing on the 2024 Taiwan presidential election. Using Microsoft’s Copilot, we conducted a comparative analysis by prompting election news in five languages: English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, German, and Swedish. While Copilot uses mainly professional news media, provides quick access to synthesized information, and exhibits source transparency, it frequently creates misinformation and misattributes news sources. The analysis highlights variations in Copilot’s sourcing behavior, showing a strong reliance on English-language sources, particularly those from the UK and US, across different prompting languages. Such reliance raises concerns about the homogenization of information and the marginalization of regional perspectives. The study underscores the critical role and dilemma of news media, which, while serving as authoritative sources in democratic societies, must navigate an increasing AI-mediated information ecosystem to maintain autonomy vis-à-vis powerful technological infrastructures. By evaluating Copilot’s sourcing practices and misinformation prevalence, this research contributes to the discourse on AI’s impact on news dissemination, media diversity, and democratic processes. Specifically, we discuss the consequences of two approaches available to news media to prevent their content from being used without compensation: opting out of crawling (“platform counterbalancing”) or establishing partnerships with AI companies. Current regulatory efforts, including copyright reforms and the EU AI Act, fall short of safeguarding journalism or regulating AI. We propose policy and regulatory recommendations to improve transparency, factual correctness, accuracy in source attribution, and accountability in AI-generated content, supporting informed citizenship in the digital age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 5","pages":"Article 102952"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluating structural and behavioral remedies for anticompetitive conducts in the ad tech ecosystem","authors":"Alexander Witte, Jan Krämer","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102955","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102955","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alphabet’s extensive vertical integration across the ad tech stack has come under increased scrutiny from competition authorities. This paper examines how Alphabet’s alleged leveraging practices, including tying of first-party inventory and data, restrictive interoperability, and discriminatory auction rules, undermine multihoming and foreclose rival intermediaries. Drawing on a structured analysis of anticompetitive effects and claimed efficiencies, we show that purely behavioral remedies would require constant, resource-intensive oversight in an opaque, rapidly evolving ecosystem. By contrast, a more focused structural realignment, specifically divesting Alphabet’s buy-side services from its publisher-facing operations, directly removes conflicts of interest while refraining from intrusive divestiture of consumer-facing platforms. This targeted breakup has the potential to foster genuine competition across the ad tech value chain, mitigates the need for perpetual monitoring, and if complemented by behavioral remedies, preserves important efficiencies that benefit advertisers, publishers, and users.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 5","pages":"Article 102955"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Building an ecosystem for mobile broadband measurement: Methods and policy challenges","authors":"Zoraida Frias , William Lehr , Volker Stocker","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102905","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102905","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mobile broadband networks constitute essential infrastructure to enable a wide range of innovative services and use cases that will shape the future of the digital economy. As this digital economy evolves, capabilities to collect more fine-grained measurements and generate analytics that deliver insights for real-time network management and localized control are expanding across contexts, technologies, and stakeholders. With broadband value chains becoming increasingly diverse, dynamic, and complex, a robust measurement ecosystem for mobile broadband is necessary to (i) allow service providers to manage and develop their networks, (ii) ensure transparency levels that facilitate informed decisions by end-users and the efficient operation of markets, and (iii) facilitate evidence-based policymaking. As the methods used to collect measurement data are changing, the ecosystem of stakeholders with strategic interests in mobile measurement is growing, posing both new challenges and opportunities for policymakers. This paper explores the evolving measurement requirements and methods and discusses key features of a capable and reliable measurement ecosystem for mobile broadband. We document how the evolving measurement methods are being adopted in several critical broadband policy issues. We find that a healthy measurement ecosystem will need to confront the challenge of reconciling diverse stakeholder perspectives on what measurements should be conducted and how they should be used. Additionally, managing the shared costs of supporting the necessary measurement capabilities and infrastructure represent an additional strategic challenge. Lastly, we explain that governments and telecom regulators have a key role to play as designers, orchestrators disseminators of trustworthy measurement data, and as managers/adjudicators of measurement disputes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 5","pages":"Article 102905"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Can digital literacy improve income mobility? Evidence from China","authors":"Juan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102960","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102960","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digital literacy represents a new form of human capital in the digital age. Investigating the role of digital literacy in facilitating upward income mobility for households is crucial for enhancing income mobility and advancing social equity. This paper empirically investigates the effects and mechanisms of digital literacy on income mobility, utilizing data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS). The paper reveals that digital literacy enhances upward income mobility for households by facilitating non-farm employment, entrepreneurship, and engagement in financial markets. Further analysis reveals that digital literacy is more conducive to upward income mobility for households with low physical, human, and social capital. Finally, the two external environments of digital financial inclusion and e-commerce have moderating effects. The more advanced digital financial inclusion and e-commerce, the more significant the contribution of digital literacy to upward household income mobility. This study offers new approaches for promoting household income mobility and maintaining social stability in the digital age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 6","pages":"Article 102960"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144241400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using spectrum set-asides to address distributional objectives: Lessons from Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States","authors":"Bronwyn E. Howell , Petrus H. Potgieter","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102957","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102957","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper critically examines the effectiveness of spectrum set-asides as a policy tool to address distributional objectives in telecommunications across four diverse national contexts: Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. Spectrum allocation is a crucial factor for the provision of telecommunications services and by extension, for citizens’ participation in the digital economy. While economic theory supports auction-based allocations to maximise market efficiency, set-asides aim to facilitate access for disadvantaged groups or to stimulate competition. This study employs case studies from the selected countries to evaluate the impact of these set-asides on market efficiency, competition, and economic development.</div><div>In Canada, set-asides intended to encourage new market entrants have led to higher spectrum costs and inefficiencies due to speculative behaviour. In New Zealand, allocations to the indigenous Māori population have raised concerns over long-term sector efficiency and capital accessibility. South Africa’s policy mandates spectrum allocations to entities with significant ownership by historically disadvantaged persons, with mixed outcomes on market dynamics and social equity. Meanwhile, the United States’ approach includes grants rather than direct spectrum set-asides, offering a potentially less distortive model. The findings suggest that while set-asides can support social objectives, they often introduce inefficiencies and fail to achieve the desired economic outcomes. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for future spectrum policy, advocating for careful consideration of the trade-offs between equity and efficiency in spectrum management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 5","pages":"Article 102957"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Promoting free flows via competition law: An AI industry blueprint for Southeast Asia","authors":"Chad Patrick Osorio , Jamlech Iram Gojo Cruz","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102953","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102953","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Concerns about multinational technology companies and their antitrust activities are increasing, particularly in the US and the European Union. However, this issue has not been given much attention in the context of ASEAN, despite being the fifth largest economy in the world. In this article, we discuss how a common competition law framework for ASEAN presents multiple benefits for the AI industry, spanning regulatory, economic, and innovation-related aspects. We argue that harmonizing competition laws across the region through a unified framework—promoting the free flow of data, compute, and AI models—would streamline regulatory compliance for AI firms and create a level playing field, preventing monopolistic practices and enhancing consumer protection. To support this, we propose a set of technical rules for the AI industry to be integrated in the common legal framework, which can stimulate not only regional AI governance, but drive responsible AI development and regional economic growth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 5","pages":"Article 102953"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unravelling digital divides in the Emilia-Romagna region through the poset approach","authors":"Claudia Zola","doi":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102958","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102958","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study leverages granular DESIER data - a municipal-level adaptation of DESI - to analyse the digital divide across Emilia-Romagna municipalities. Using the poset methodology, this study overcomes the limitations of traditional composite indexes by enabling a detailed examination of digital disparities, intervention areas, and digitalization dynamics from 2022 to 2024. Despite Emilia-Romagna being one of the most digitalized regions in Italy, the analysis reveals significant territorial fragmentation. Municipalities are classified into four digitalization categories from the most to the least digitalized (<em>Pioneers</em>, <em>Innovators</em>, <em>Explorers</em>, and <em>Beginners</em>), highlighting pronounced urban-rural disparities and internal gaps. Connectivity emerges as the most influential dimension of digitalization, while population size, urbanization, income, and employment rates are identified as structural factors positively influencing municipal digital advancement prospects. The study highlights the multidimensional nature of digitalization, advocating for balanced, context-sensitive policies to reduce disparities and foster resilience. Despite some limitations, the study offers a replicable framework and actionable insights for promoting inclusive digitalization strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22290,"journal":{"name":"Telecommunications Policy","volume":"49 5","pages":"Article 102958"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}