Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore information literacy amongst small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK and the USA and argue that information policy in the UK has not given sufficient attention to helping these companies navigate the ever-increasing volumes of information accessible over the internet. Design/methodology/approach – A combination of primary and secondary data have been used. The primary data consists of a survey of UK SMEs, which explored how these companies use the internet as a research tool. The results of the survey are compared to similar surveys carried out in the USA. Several significant UK policy documents are examined to find out how government policy in this area has addressed the issue of information literacy amongst SMEs. Findings – It is shown that UK SMEs wasted over £3.7 billion in 2005 in terms of time wasted through inefficient use of the internet as a research tool. Practical implications – It is argued that while government policies in this area have put resources into encouraging SMEs to adopt broadband and engage in e-commerce, they have not sufficiently addressed the issue of information literacy. Originality/value – Little research has been carried out into how SMEs use the internet as a research tool, and this is the first time that a financial cost figure has been applied to inefficient searching by these organisations

The purpose of this paper is to explore ethical issues arising from the mass deployment and take-up of mobile technologies. The ethical dimensions of mobile technologies and their use among the general population are considered within a conceptual framework drawing on James Moor's belief in a need for “better ethics” for emerging technologies and Michel Foucault's development of Jeremy Bentham's panopticon as a tool of surveillance. It is found that the mass deployment and use of mobile technologies amongst the general population raise some interesting questions about the changing nature of surveillance and the ethical issues that come out of this. The paper offers an original perspective on the ethical issues arising from new mobile technologies and surveillance, by inverting the established top-down notion of technology and control derived from Foucault

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the policy debates surrounding the commercial reuse of public sector information. It aims to provide an overview of these discussions in the light of the 2003 EU Directive on this matter, and the UK's implementation in the form of the 2005 Reuse of Public Sector Information Regulations. It also aims to argue that there is an inherent conflict of interest between the UK policy of making public sector information more freely available and the financial targets imposed by government on some of the key producers of this information. Design/methodology/approach – The discussions presented in this paper draw on secondary academic and commercial research carried out in Europe and the USA. Primary analysis of the financial accounts of public bodies is also utilised to consider the potential conflicts of interest between revenue generation and information dissemination. Findings – The evidence presented suggests that the sale of information collected by a number of key public bodies and the financial targets that are set by HM Treasury for them are a barrier to innovation within the private sector and to the wider development of an information society. Practical implications – This research provides useful evidence for developers of UK information policies within the context of stimulating the development of a more vibrant information economy. Originality/value – This is the first attempt to combine the financial analysis of UK public accounts with discussions about the commercial reuse of public sector information

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