Search results

Testing communication theories requires a valid empirical basis, yet especially for usage time measures, retrospective self-reports have shown to be biased. This study draws on a unique data set of 923 Swiss internet users who had their internet use tracked for at least 30 days on mobile and desktop devices and took part in a survey covering internet usage as well as person-level background variables. The analysis focuses on active usage time overall and on the major services Google Search, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and the online newspaper 20 Minuten. The results showed that overall internet usage time was lower for older and higher-educated users based on both the tracking and survey data, and the reported usage time was consistently higher than the tracked usage time. The tracking data further revealed that internet users in all social groups spent the majority of their time online on a mobile device. The number of users of the major services varied mainly between age groups. These differences were less pronounced when it came to the time users spent engaging with these services. Over the course of a day, the major services varied in their frequency of use: for example, messaging peaked before noon and in the late afternoon, whereas online news use was comparably constant at a lower level.

Self-tracking with wearable devices and mobile applications is a popular practice that relies on automated data collection and algorithm-driven analytics. Initially designed as a tool for personal use, a variety of public and corporate actors such as commercial organizations and insurance companies now make use of self-tracking data. Associated social risks such as privacy violations or measurement inaccuracies have been theoretically derived, although empirical evidence remains sparse. This article conceptualizes self-tracking as algorithmic-selection applications and empirically examines users' risk awareness related to self-tracking applications as well as coping strategies as an option to deal with these risks. It draws on representative survey data collected in Switzerland. The results reveal that Swiss self-trackers' awareness of risks related to the applications they use is generally low and only a small number of those who self-track apply coping strategies. We further find only a weak association between risk awareness and the application of coping strategies. This points to a cost-benefit calculation when deciding how to respond to perceived risks, a behavior explained as a privacy calculus in extant literature. The widespread willingness to pass on personal data to insurance companies despite associated risks provides further evidence for this interpretation. The conclusions - made even more pertinent by the potential of wearables' track-and-trace systems and state-level health provision - raise questions about technical safeguarding, data and health literacies, and governance mechanisms that might be necessary considering the further popularization of self-tracking for health.

Algorithmen im Internet prägen zunehmend unseren Alltag und unsere Wahrnehmung der Welt. Sie wählen Informationen aus, weisen ihnen Relevanz zu und helfen, die Informationsflut im Internet zu bewältigen. Gleichzeitig wird die Verbreitung von algorithmischer Selektion von Risiken und regulatorischen Herausforderungen begleitet. Der Beitrag beleuchtet Anwendungszwecke und den Einfluss von algorithmischer Selektion und bietet einen Überblick zu den damit verbundenen Risiken. Die Risiken bilden Ausgangspunkte für etwaige Markteingriffe und die Suche nach adäquaten Steuerungs- und Regelungsarrangements (Governance). Vor diesem Hintergrund analysiert der Beitrag die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von unterschiedlichen Governance-Ansätzen auf dem Kontinuum zwischen Markt und Staat und liefert Grundlagen für die Auswahl von passenden Governance-Optionen. Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass sich keine Einheitslösung für die Governance von algorithmischer Selektion anbietet. Die Aufmerksamkeit muss auf mehrdimensionale Lösungsansätze gerichtet werden, in denen Governance-Maßnahmen kombiniert werden, die sich gegenseitig ermöglichen und ergänzen.

"Algorithmen im Internet prägen zunehmend unseren Alltag und unsere Wahrnehmung der Welt. Sie wählen Informationen aus, weisen ihnen Relevanz zu und helfen, die Informationsflut im Internet zu bewältigen. Gleichzeitig wird die Verbreitung von algorithmischer Selektion von Risiken und regulatorischen Herausforderungen begleitet. Der Beitrag beleuchtet Anwendungszwecke und den Einfluss von algorithmischer Selektion und bietet einen Überblick zu den damit verbundenen Risiken. Die Risiken bilden Ausgangspunkte für etwaige Markteingriffe und die Suche nach adäquaten Steuerungs- und Regelungsarrangements (Governance). Vor diesem Hintergrund analysiert der Beitrag die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von unterschiedlichen Governance-Ansätzen auf dem Kontinuum zwischen Markt und Staat und liefert Grundlagen für die Auswahl von passenden Governance-Optionen. Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass sich keine Einheitslösung für die Governance von algorithmischer Selektion anbietet. Die Aufmerksamkeit muss auf mehrdimensionale Lösungsansätze gerichtet werden, in denen Governance-Maßnahmen kombiniert werden, die sich gegenseitig ermöglichen und ergänzen." (Autorenreferat)

Based on representative surveys on Internet use, this article advances comparative research on the second-level digital divide by modeling Internet usage disparities for five countries with narrowing access gaps. Four core Internet usage types are constructed and predicted by sociodemographic variables in a structural model. Overall, the findings confirm the recently identified shift in the digital divide from access to usage in five further countries. Results show that sociodemographics alone account for up to half of the variance in usage in these high-penetration countries, with age being the strongest predictor. Measurement invariance tests indicate that a direct comparison is only valid between three of the five countries explored. Methodologically, this points to the indispensability of such tests for unbiased comparative research.

Online services of public service broadcasters (PSBs) in Europe are disputed because they directly compete with online activities of the private media. In recent regulatory responses, European countries have taken a path of proactive control comprising specific regulations as well as
formal and systematic procedures. Regulatory challenges do not end with the enactment of such rules, however. After rule-making, questions of how to ensure and control compliance with regulations move centre stage. While many EU countries have introduced ex ante tests to assess PSBs'
online offers, Switzerland controls compliance with regulations ex post. This article presents the results of an ex post analysis of the online offer of the Swiss public broadcaster, discusses regulatory implications of its findings and contributes to understanding the challenges facing rule
enforcement on the Internet.