Practicalities

Day 1 4.45pm-5.45pm
The Great Hack workshop (Q1096)

Introduction

Some examples

Lessons from "The Great Hack"

David Carroll's actions have helped go beyond the usual (lack of) data protection enforcement.
Authorities often need complaints and evidence, their investigative and injunctive powers augment then.
Anyone can change things by pushing their rights through.
Journalists dropped the ball on David Carroll's case.
Time for action.

Youtubers' Union

Youtubers are affected by algorithms demonetizing their content, based on unclear criteria.
In the FairTube campaign, they are demanding better working conditions, mostly through transparency.
They are exercising these demands collectively in an alliance with IG Metall (one of Europe's largest labor unions), with a threat of going individual(!) through the GDPR.

By now they got out of their ultimatum to Youtube some formal sitdown encounter.

Uber drivers

Uber drivers have a lot of concerns about the algorithm ruling them.
When they make demands to Uber, they get some data, but there is always consideration for privacy of passengers.

Transparency surface

Black hat hackers use the so-called "attack surface" of a system to figure out its weaknesses, for their own profit.
White hats do the same, but for the collective benefit.

We need the same dynamic for platforms. White hats, journalists, etc need more "attack surface". Actually, they need a "transparency surface", i.e. a way to expose information that serve democracy. But platforms often paint these as attack surfaces themselves.

For instance: