Physics

Ubiquitous computing

Digital divide

Work (physics)

Special section

Invisibility

Engineering physics

Operating system

Internet privacy

Metamaterial

The Internet

World Wide Web

Information technology

Engineering

Political science

Artificial intelligence

Data science

Harassment

Computer science

Cloaking

Computer security

Optoelectronics

Mechanical engineering

Information Systems Research

While information technology benefits society in numerous ways, it unfortunately also has potential to create new vulnerabilities. This special issue intends to stimulate thought and research into understanding and mitigating these vulnerabilities. We identify four mechanisms by which ubiquitous computing makes various entities (people, devices, organizations, societies, etc.) more vulnerable, including: increased visibility, enhanced cloaking, increased interconnectedness, and decreased costs. We use the papers in the special issue to explain these mechanisms, and then outline a research agenda for future work on digital vulnerabilities spanning four areas that are, or could become, significant societal problems with implications at multiple levels of analysis: Online harassment and incivility, technology-driven economic inequality, industrial Internet of Things, and algorithmic ethics and bias.

Special Section Introduction—Ubiquitous IT and Digital Vulnerabilities