16 episodes
Activists Of Tech — The responsible tech podcast Mel
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- Technology
Shifting the narrative from Big Tech to Responsible Tech by sharing & archiving the work of change makers.
SPECIAL SERIES RELASE: June 2024
SEASON 2 RELEASE: September 2024!
Responsible tech is a growing movement that emerged in response to the social and physical harm engendered by Big Tech companies. Yet, voices of responsible tech need to be amplified not to be shadowed by the “move fast and break things” dominant tech narratives.
Activists Of Tech is a weekly podcast that amplifies and archives the work of activists, thought leaders, troublemakers, academics, and practitioners of responsible tech, and empower guests and listeners by centralizing their voice and sharing their story. Shifting the narrative from Big Tech to responsible tech takes honesty: this is a "say it as it is" type of podcast, and no topic is too taboo not to be named and addressed.
The topics covered encompass a variety of responsible tech areas and focus on social justice, AI harm, AI bias, AI regulation and advocacy, minorities in tech, gender equality, tech and democracy, social media, and algorithmic recommendations, to name a few. We also talk about solutions and how to make tech inclusive and beneficial for all.
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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
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"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.
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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
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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.
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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!
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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.