Activists Of Tech — The responsible tech podcast

Activists Of Tech — The responsible tech podcast

by Activists of Tech

Social Sciences Technology

Season 2

Decolonizing Digital Rights and the collective imaginary of technology with Laurence Meyer from the Digital Freedom Fund

What does it take for Big Tech to exist? Who does it take? What knowledge do we value and amplify in AI systems? In this episode, Laurence Meyer, Racial and Social Justice Lead at the Digital Freedom Fund and co-director at Weaving Liberation teaches us about the importance of decolonization, questioning the system, and how to do it. Our guest unpacks the narratives surrounding technology and AI, and she brings us on a hell of a ride to understand the relationship between tech, digital rights, data colonialism, colonization, and post-colonial culture. Check out weavingliberation.org Created, hosted and produced by Mélissa M'Raidi-Kechichian.

Environmental justice, social media, and the promises of the Digital Services Act with Rachel Griffin, PhD candidate at Sciences Po Paris School of Law

The Digital Services Act was recently passed in the European Union, and I wondered how did this piece of regulation related to climate change and how did it impact online activism? In this episode, Rachel Griffin, PhD candidate and lecturer in law at Sciences Po Paris, talks about the intersections between platform regulation and digital justice, the impacts of tech on the environment, shadow banning, and more. Check out Rachel’s policy brief on environmental risks in the DSA: https://www.hertie-school.org/en/news/detail/content/climate-breakdown-as-a-systemic-risk-in-the-digital-services-act Created, hosted and produced by Mélissa M'Raidi-Kechichian.

"Every bubble will burst at some point": digital rights, encryption, and the AI hype with Elina Eickstädt from the Chaos Computer Club

Did you know that encryption could save lives? In this episode, Elina Eickstaedt, spokesperson at the Chaos Computer Club, answers my questions with no BS about privacy, surveillance, German and European tech policies and their impacts, surveillance capitalism, and explains why tech solutionism is not the magical answer to all of our problems. Created, hosted and produced by Mélissa M'Raidi-Kechichian.

Bye bye, Clearview AI ✌️: Greek digital rights advocacy in times of mass surveillance with Lamprini Gyftokosta from Homo Digitalis

Remember when Clearview AI got fined 20 million euros by the Hellenic Data Protection Authority for its intrusive Facial Recognition & data collection practices? Yeah, that wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible work of the non-profit Homo Digitalis. In this episode, Lamprini Gyftokosta, Director of Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights at Homo Digitalis, talks about mass surveillance in Greece, digital rights, and the three pillars of Homo Digitalis: raising awareness, advocacy, and litigation. PS: do NOT accept cookies! Created, hosted and produced by Mélissa M'Raidi-Kechichian.

Free speech, content moderation, and the "killer switch" with Eliška Pírková from Access Now

What is the relationship between content moderation, social media organizing, censorship and the online space? How is one of our fundamental human rights, free speech, protected or not in the online space? In this episode, Eliška Pírková, Senior Policy Analyst and Global freedom of expression lead at Access Now, gives us expert insight on the topic. Created, hosted and produced by Mélissa M'Raidi-Kechichian.

CPDP special series preview: Governance and the voice of the people

Welcome to the CPDP special series: Governance and the voice of the people, dedicated to the intersection of activism & tech governance.

Season 1

Poet and organizer Tawana Petty on visionary resistance, social justice & tech

In this highly informative episode, poet & organizer Tawana Petty talks about her data justice centered work, how she empowers her community to think about alternative systems that are not hyper surveilled and rather create a sense of community through her non-profit Petty Propolis, how facial recognition impacts marginalized communities, and much more. These are tough topics as always, but Tawana really made it a feel-good episode full of hope thanks to her energy. Created, hosted and produced by Mélissa M'Raidi-Kechichian.

Love me Tinder: can algorithms be matchmakers? With Dr Liesel Sharabi

Can an algorithm really predict who would be your best dating match? Can love be coded and people categorized accurately? And is it ethical? To answer these questions and uncover how dating apps impact our relationships, I had the pleasure to talk with Dr Liesel Sharabi, Associate Professor at Arizona State University and director of the Relationships and Technology Lab. Dr Sharabi studies how communication technologies are used to initiate, maintain, and dissolve interpersonal relationships. She is especially interested in technology’s role in modern romance, the role of algorithms and AI in facilitating relationships, and relationships in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). Created, hosted and produced by Mélissa M'Raidi-Kechichian.

Amira Dhalla on how social justice relates to tech, privacy, and cybersecurity

Amira Dhalla is an expert in privacy and security with over a decade of experience in the field, they focus on security and privacy with an equity and Human Rights lens. On top of being an advocate and educator, Amira was previously the Director of Impact Partnerships at Consumer Reports where they worked with organizations on projects to improve the safety, security, and privacy of consumer products and tools, while denouncing issues that included discriminatory technologies, deceptive design, digital access, and inclusion. Created, hosted and produced by Mélissa M'Raidi-Kechichian.

China's domestic and global tech influence with Melissa Newcomb

In this episode, Melissa Newcomb, democracy development professional, touched on several topics including the digital silk road initiative, Chinese hardware investments in Africa, democratic resilience, AI regulation, Human Rights, and how soft power and the online narratives of the Chinese Communist Party are shaping global opinions about China. Created, hosted and produced by Mélissa M'Raidi-Kechichian.

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