8 Unbelievable Things You Never Knew About Tracking

A presentation at ffconf in in Brighton, UK by Laura Kalbag

8 Unbelievable Things You Never Knew About Tracking

8 Unbelievable Things You Never Knew About Tracking

Cambridge Analytica

Cambridge Analytica

Profiling.

Profiling.

Targeting.

Targeting.

Manipulating.

Manipulating.

Tracking affects democracy.

Tracking affects democracy.

But it’s all so convenient!

But it’s all so convenient!

How to protect ourselves (individuals)

How to protect ourselves (individuals)

A. Avoid logging in.

A. Avoid logging in.

Fingerprinting

Fingerprinting

B. Avoid providing your phone number.

B. Avoid providing your phone number.

C. Disallow third-party cookies.

C. Disallow third-party cookies.

D. Don’t use Gmail.

D. Don’t use Gmail.

Your choices affect your friends and family.

Your choices affect your friends and family.

We’re not just tracked on the web.

We’re not just tracked on the web.

Avoiding it all is too much work.

Avoiding it all is too much work.

Don’t blame the victim.

Don’t blame the victim.

Our concept of privacy is being twisted.

Our concept of privacy is being twisted.

Shouldn’t we be smart about what we share publicly?

Shouldn’t we be smart about what we share publicly?

Corporations blame us for giving up our privacy.

Corporations blame us for giving up our privacy.

It is not informed consent

It is not informed consent

It’s not consent if there’s not a real choice.

It’s not consent if there’s not a real choice.

There is no choice.

There is no choice.

We’re asked to give up everything or get nothing.

We’re asked to give up everything or get nothing.

The technology we use is our new everyday things.

The technology we use is our new everyday things.

Technology can’t fix issues of domination, oppression or discrimination.

Technology can’t fix issues of domination, oppression or discrimination.

Technology amplifies social and systemic issues.

Technology amplifies social and systemic issues.

Technology colonialism

Technology colonialism

We have to reckon with our colonial history.

We have to reckon with our colonial history.

“Intent does not erase impact.”

“Intent does not erase impact.”

It’s hard to advocate for change when alternatives don’t yet exist.

It’s hard to advocate for change when alternatives don’t yet exist.

We have the power to make that change.

We have the power to make that change.

How to build more ethical technology

How to build more ethical technology

Build small technology

Build small technology

Make it easy to use.

Make it easy to use.

Protecting ourselves shouldn’t just be the privilege of those with knowledge, time and money.

Protecting ourselves shouldn’t just be the privilege of those with knowledge, time and money.

Make it inclusive.

Make it inclusive.

Don’t be colonial.

Don’t be colonial.

Make it personal.

Make it personal.

Build technology for everyday people, not just startups and enterprises.

Build technology for everyday people, not just startups and enterprises.

Make it private by default.

Make it private by default.

Make your technology functional without personal information.

Make your technology functional without personal information.

Consent:

Consent:

Write easy-to-understand privacy policies.

Write easy-to-understand privacy policies.

Don’t use third-party consent frameworks.

Don’t use third-party consent frameworks.

Don’t use third-party services. (If you can avoid them.)

Don’t use third-party services. (If you can avoid them.)

Self-host all the things.

Self-host all the things.

Social media etiquette:

Social media etiquette:

Make it zero-knowledge.

Make it zero-knowledge.

Ensure any information synced to another device is end-to-end encrypted.

Ensure any information synced to another device is end-to-end encrypted.

Make it share alike.

Make it share alike.

Make it noncommercial.

Make it noncommercial.

Support stayups, not startups.

Support stayups, not startups.

Support not-for-profit technology.

Support not-for-profit technology.

It feels impossible. It probably is!

It feels impossible. It probably is!

1. Use small technology as a criteria

1. Use small technology as a criteria

2. Seek alternatives.

2. Seek alternatives.

3. If you can’t do it at work, do it at home.

3. If you can’t do it at work, do it at home.

Tin foil hats are all the rage.

Tin foil hats are all the rage.

Divest ourselves of unethical organisations.

Divest ourselves of unethical organisations.

Our whole approach matters.

Our whole approach matters.

I’m just one person.

I’m just one person.

You are not your job.

You are not your job.

8 (believable) ways to make change happen.

8 (believable) ways to make change happen.

1. Be independent.

1. Be independent.

2. Be the advisor.

2. Be the advisor.

3. Be the advocate.

3. Be the advocate.

4. Be the questioner.

4. Be the questioner.

5. Be the gatekeeper.

5. Be the gatekeeper.

6. Be difficult.

6. Be difficult.

7. Be unprofessional.

7. Be unprofessional.

8. Be the supporter.

8. Be the supporter.

Speaking up is risky and hard.

Speaking up is risky and hard.

We deserve better.

We deserve better.

Thank you!

Thank you!

The web, and big tech at large, is tracking our every move, habit, and facial expression. As developers who are also users, we both contribute to the surveillance system and are exploited by it. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

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Resources

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