Daniel Angus

@antmandan.bsky.social

1.5K followers 820 following 440 posts

Professor of Digital Communication and Director of the QUT Digital Media Research Centre. Cyclist, beer brewer, nerd, community advocate.

Videos

Computer science 38%

Communication & Media Studies 20%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Daniel Angus

Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 9h

"Social cohesion is a scam, a strategy employed by the powerful to delegitimise and suppress the voices of the less powerful... If you are othered by powerful groups, you become the victim of cohesion, not the beneficiary; what you get from social cohesion is a punch from an armed official."

Nothing says cohesion like a punch in the head: Violence of Minns' goons exposes the lie of 'social cohesion'

NSW Police's actions against protesters in in Sydney was about the powerful dictating the terms of free speech — through state-sanctioned violence if necessary.

www.crikey.com.au

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 12h

The beatings will continue until morale improves

Reposted by Daniel Angus

The Shovel @theshovel.bsky.social · 13h

NSW Police used pepper spray, helicopters, horses and blockades as part of a new program designed to bring the community together.
Read more: theshovel.com.au/2026/02/10/s...

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 13h

@australianlabor.bsky.social owns what happened last night. A government that hosts leaders accused of war crimes and then deploys police violence against peaceful protesters cannot hide behind press releases. If Albo & Minns want to govern a democracy, they must respect dissent, not criminalise it.

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 15h

Watching the footage emerging of the police brutality from Sydney last night is truly sickening. People have a right to peacefully protest. And shame on the media for framing this as 'protesters clashed with police' when from the footage it was clear that 'peaceful protesters were bashed by police'

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 1d

Brisbane showed up for Palestine tonight 🍉

Reposted by Tim Bale, Daniel Angus, Anthony Burke

Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 1d

R.I.P Jon Kudelka @kudelka.bsky.social

“If I did a sequel it would probably involve a scientist swearing a great deal”

allouryesterdays.info/2025/04/28/i... @allouryesterdays.bsky.social

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 1d

But those limits should be precise, proportionate, and democratically contestable. Blunt, rushed, and expansive anti-protest powers risk protecting us less, while making our institutions easier to weaponise by bad actors. The harder task is addressing harm without hollowing out democracy.

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 1d

To be clear: I'm not a free-speech absolutist. Following Popper's 'paradox of tolerance', democracies must have the capacity to restrain acts that seek to destroy democratic life itself. Limits are sometimes necessary, especially where speech is tied directly to violence or harm.

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 1d

So regardless of intentions, @australianlabor.bsky.social and state govs are normalising undemocratic powers that may deepen division rather than resolve it. Democracies are strongest not when they suppress conflict, but when they allow it to be argued, contested, and worked through in the open.

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 1d

But here's the rub. When people are uncertain about what they can say, chant, post, or organise due to legal risk, they don't suddenly change their beliefs, instead they can migrate to private spaces where grievances can harden, radicalise, and erupt in less productive, and possibly harmful ways.

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 1d

We've seen an accelerated push for expanded speech and protest powers. Yet these measures largely sidestep root causes of social tension: inequality, exclusion, injustice, financial stress, and collapsing trust in institutions, while creating new levers that far-right actors can exploit and provoke.

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 1d

Here in Australia, much has already been said about the recent wave of "hate speech" and anti-protest laws. Speaking as someone who studies political communication and misinformation, I want to add my deep concern: how these rushed responses may backfire institutionally and politically. #auspol

Reposted by Anna O. Law, John McLaren, Mary Feeney , and 3 more Anna O. Law, John McLaren, Mary Feeney, Daniel Angus, Nils Zurawski, Nelson Flores

Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 6d

Remember her name: Aliya Rahman

Her testimony is everything and it deserves to be heard, by everyone. Decide for yourself.

It’s powerful. It’s gut-wrenching. And no one should have to survive what she did.

ICE MUST GO‼️

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 7d

Nothing says 'new world city' quite like encountering 5 separate footpath closures in one single walk home from the bus. I know the Brisbane LNP council hate active transport but this is next level even for them.

Reposted by Daniel Angus

Seamus Byrne @seamusbyrne.me · 7d

Can’t be said too often: Having the power to restrict protest indefinitely creates a very specific definition of “social cohesion”.

Reposted by Nina Jankowicz, Daniel Angus

QUT Digital Media Research Centre @qutdmrc.bsky.social · 7d

The 2026 DMRC Summer School is officially underway!

With 72 delegates in attendance, today's sessions explored a diverse range of topics with the highlight being a keynote address by Nina Jankowicz, internationally-recognized expert on disinformation and democratization.

Reposted by Richard Denniss, Ariadne Vromen, Adrian Vickers , and 1 more Richard Denniss, Ariadne Vromen, Adrian Vickers, Daniel Angus

The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 7d

New Australia Institute research shows Australian high schools are the most expensive in the OECD.

"I can't see any policy case for taxpayers giving money to a school that can afford an air-conditioned equestrian arena."
@richarddenniss.bsky.social #auspol

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 11d

We need to urgently reverse course, bans on these vehicles via updates to AU vehicle standards would be the ideal, but additional charges would be an immediate light touch approach. Perhaps introducing the "Small PENalty for Increased Size Vehicle Tax"?

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 11d

The proliferation of gigantic US "wankpanzer" trucks/utes onto Australian roads is an absolute menace, but it also reveals how transport ministers at state and federal levels are completely asleep at the wheel and blind to cart culture. This follows from the perverse tax incentives for giant utes.

Reposted by Daniel Angus, Mary James

Rutger Bregman @rutgerbregman.com · 11d

ICE's $100M ad campaign is using the same playbook as the Gestapo & Stasi. The goal? To make repression sound reasonable and patriotic.

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 22d

Back to work today 🫠

a cartoon character without a face is floating in the water .

Alt: a cartoon character without a face is floating in the water being consumed by waves with the word 'emails' all over them.

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Naomi Priest, Daniel Angus

Greg Jericho @grogsgamut.bsky.social · 28d

"I cannot be party to silencing writers, which is why I am resigning as director of Adelaide writers’ week" Louise Adler ✊

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I cannot be party to silencing writers, which is why I am resigning as director of Adelaide Writers’ Week | Louise Adler

Cancelling the Australian Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah weakens freedom of speech and is the harbinger of a less free nation

www.theguardian.com

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · Dec 12

Danke fürs Teilen. Es ist wichtig, dass die Welt versteht, dass niemals Fachexpert*innen konsultiert wurden.

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · Dec 12

You've got to be joking. So these grifters are getting rich promoting misery and suffering, breaking up families through problematic gambling, and then have the gall to pretend they care about kids.

CAMERON WILSON @cameronwilson.bsky.social · Dec 12

Scoop: the pro-teen social media ban lobby group 36 Months was funded & co-staffed by its co-founder's ad production firm that was simultaneously making gambling ads

The federal government has ignored calls for a gambling ad ban while pursuing the social media ban.

www.crikey.com.au/20...

Reposted by Anupam Chander, Adrian Vickers, Daniel Angus

CAMERON WILSON @cameronwilson.bsky.social · Dec 12

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · Dec 12

My colleagues have issued an open letter urging EU institutions to protect this crucial transparency infrastructure, if you're an academic or civil society org, please consider adding your signature to the list:
dsa40collaboratory.eu/open-letter-...

Open Letter: Omnibus – DSA 40 Collaboratory

dsa40collaboratory.eu

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · Dec 12

But this evidence ecosystem is under threat due to proposed changes in the GDPR omnibus reform that could restrict independent research at exactly the moment when transparency matters most.

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · Dec 12

This is why observability matters. EU's GDPR and DSA give researchers some of the tools needed to see what happens inside platforms: how content flows, how moderation works, etc. But also how material is consumed and used in the hands of users thanks to data donation.

Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · Dec 12

On this and many other issues, Australia has put the policy cart before the evidence/data horse. And with no outcomes or success framework, we won't and can't know whether this ban improves anything, or just pushes young people onto less visible platforms.

Add to Home Screen

Light up
your news

Add to Home Screen

Light upyour news

Sign in to Lightnews

Sign up to start reading

Connect Bluesky

Connect with Bluesky

Light up
your news