Civic Tech Field Guide
Sharing knowledge and productively growing the fieldAdjacent Fields > Ethical tech and responsible tech - (237)
While the first generations of tech-for-good work took a solutionist approach to addressing existing problems with new technology, scholars and activists are driving growing awareness of the problems with technology itself. By exposing the negative consequences, intended or otherwise, of tech, these communities draw attention to issues with tech-centric approaches. Not all of the projects here adopt an ethics lens in their work, but we use it here for simplicity's sake.
Suggested reading:
- 10 things we should all demand from Big Tech right now, Vox (2019)
- Technology Ethics in Action: Critical and Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Edited by Ben Green.
Showing 237 Results
Sharing and Caring EU
EuropeThe main objective of this action is to develop a European network of actors focusing on the development of collaborative economy models and platforms and on social and technological implications of the collaborative economy through a practice focused approach.
Own Your Data Foundation
WyomingWe equip every individual with the tools they need to live a safe, protected, and informed digital life.
Is That Even Legal? A guide for builders experimenting with data governance
Mozilla, East Evelyn Avenue, Mountain View, CA, USAWhat builders in Germany, India, Kenya, and the United States need to know when experimenting with new approaches to data governance
Tech Matters
Palo AltoWe help social change leaders understand what tech can and can’t do, and build the tech solutions behind solving a social problem.
Responsible Computing Challenge
Mountain View, CA, USAThe Responsible Computing Challenge - supported by the Mellon Foundation, Omidyar Network, Schmidt Futures, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, USAID, Mozilla - fund academic teams that combine faculty and practitioners from Computing, Humanities, Library and Information Science, and Social Science fields in order to reimagine how the next generation of technologists will be educated.
Platform://Democracy
Humboldt-Institut Berlin, Invalidenstraße, Berlin, GermanyThe project "Platform://Democracy: Platform Councils as Tools to Democratize Hybrid Online Orders" examines how the rules of discourse on platforms can be aligned with public values
A 12 hour asynchronous online “base” program to help you launch your practice
All Tech Is Human Slack
New York City, NY, USAOur Slack workspace helps individuals in the Responsible Tech ecosystem connect with one another, discuss research, share events, learn about careers and job opportunities, and more. In addition, we have channels for specific locations to allow for people to collaborate based on vicinity.
Mapping Healthy Digital Public Spaces
New York City, NY, USAWe are identifying the organizations and leaders creating digital community-building platforms that strengthen our democracy.
All Tech Is Human
New York City, NY, USAAll Tech Is Human is strengthening the Responsible Tech ecosystem with multiple stakeholders, disciplines, and perspectives so we can tackle wicked tech & society problems.
deon is a command line tool that allows you to easily add an ethics checklist to your data science projects. We support creating a new, standalone checklist file or appending a checklist to an existing analysis in many common formats.
Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO)
Washington, DCThe Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), is the world’s first standalone international organization focusing on the digital economy.
Search 5.8 billion images used to train popular AI art models
Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation UK (CDEI)
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)The CDEI is a UK government expert body enabling the trustworthy use of data and AI.
Our mission is to advance, defend, and sustain the right to ethically study the impact of technology on society.
The World Ethical Data Forum is the only event in the world that embraces the full range of interrelated issues around the use and future of data.
European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency
Valencia (Spain)The European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT) will contribute to a safer, more predictable and trusted online environment for people and business.
What is a more ambitious vision for data use and regulation that can deliver a positive shift in the digital ecosystem towards people and society?
Ethical Tech Collective
Berkman Center For Internet, Everett Street, Cambridge, MA, USATo address ethics and social responsibility in technology, we believe it is important to honor the expertise of many disciplines: anthropology, computer science, critical race and gender studies, data science, design, history, human rights, law, philosophy, political science, science technology & society studies, sociology, and so much more.
Superbloom Design
New York City, NY, USASuperbloom leverages design as a transformative practice to shift power in the tech ecosystem, because everyone deserves technology they can trust.
IASC Operational Guidance on Data Responsibility in Humanitarian Action
The Hague, NetherlandsWhile each organization is responsible for its own data, humanitarians under the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) – which brings together United Nations (UN) entities, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) consortia and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – need common normative, system-wide guidance to inform individual and collective action and to uphold a high standard for data responsibility in different operating environments.
Data Responsibility Working Group (DRWG)
The Hague, NetherlandsThe Data Responsibility Working Group (DRWG) is a global coordination body working to advance data responsibility across the humanitarian system.
From biometrics to surveillance — when people in power abuse technology, the rest of us suffer. Written by Ellery Biddle.
Short for “human experience,” HX is an approach to talking about, engaging with, and designing technology in a way that is aligned with our needs as humans — not users.
Responsible Tech Mentorship Program
New York, USAAll Tech Is Human has developed this free program in order to help build the Responsible Tech pipeline – by facilitating connections and career development among talented students, career changers, and practitioners.
All Tech Is Human Library Podcast Series
New York City, NY, USAThe All Tech Is Human Library Podcast is a special 16-part series featuring a series of rapid-fire intimate conversations with academics, AI ethicists, activists, entrepreneurs, public interest technologists, and integrity workers, who help us answer: How do we build a responsible tech future?
The fundraising spam is out of control. Here's how that happened — and how we take back our inboxes.
ParityBOT is a Twitter bot that spins the abuse and toxicity directed at women in politics into positive, uplifting and encouraging messages. The artificial intelligence technology that powers ParityBOT detects and classifies hateful, harmful and toxic tweets directed at women in leadership or public office
Knowing without Seeing is a research project by Amber Sinha which explores meaningful transparency solutions for opaque algorithms, and privileges comprehension over mere access to information.
This paper identifies and addresses persistent gaps in the consideration of ethical practice in ‘technology for good’ development contexts.
The mission of the Coalition for Independent Tech Research is to advance, defend, and sustain the right to ethically study the impact of technology on society.
Decolonising Digital Rights
AmsterdamThe Digital Freedom Fund and its partner European Digital Rights (EDRi) are in the second phase of an initiative that emerged to decolonise the digital rights field.
We set ourselves a task to create a short, simple, and practical resource to help teams who are designing projects to identify potential risks and harms.
The Limits to Digital Consent: Understanding the risks of ethical consent and data collection for underrepresented communities
New York City, NY, USAA 2021 report by SimplySecure and The New Design Congress
Coda Story reports on major currents shaping our world from disinformation to authoritarian technologies to the war on science. Coda stays on these stories to reveal why they matter, how they are connected and where they are heading next.
Omidyar Network - The Tech We Want
1991 Broadway Street, Suite 200, Redwood City, California 94063The Tech We Want is four-year, $8 million portfolio of work focused on connecting and empowering a new wave of leaders, companies, and technologies that are built on inclusivity, mutualism, sustainability, accountability, and responsible innovation.
Reorganise: 15 stories of workers fighting back in a digital age
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)"In only a decade, the labour market has changed beyond all recognition - from zero-hour contracts to platform monopolies - meanwhile union memberships are at historic lows."
Fraudescorekaart
Netherlands (Nederland, Holland)An interactive scorecard where people can see if they would be flagged for social welfare fraud under the Netherlands' broken system
Lighthouse Reports
UtrechtPioneering Collaborative Journalism
Indigenous data sovereignty
Thailand (Prathet Thai)Policy decisions on and resource allocations for IEM tend to be made with inadequate data. The focus of the IDS programme is to coordinate a transboundary effort to develop indigenous data with indigenous stewardship.
Prosocial Design Network
New York CityA library of design interventions to encourage prosocial behaviors online
Civics of Technology
TexasThe Civics of Technology Project shares research and curriculum and offers professional development that encourages teachers and students to critically inquire into the effects of technology on our individual and collective lives.
What the Future Wants
Brunnenstraße 9, 10119 Berlin, GermanyWhat the Future Wants is an interactive youth focused exhibition that presents different perspectives on technology from the personal, to the political, to the planetary.
Argentina's Ethical Digital Commitment
Buenos Aires"Pledge signed by political parties and technology/social network companies committing to avoiding fake news and mechanisms of disinformation that may affect upcoming elections." - Countering Disinfo
Voluntary Code of Ethics - India 2019 Election
India (Bhārat)Prior to 2019 elections, the Election Commission of India was able to convene representatives from top social media companies for a two-day brainstorming session on approaches to problematic social media content in elections.
Facebook Digital Literacy Library
United States of America (the)The Facebook Digital Literacy Library is hosted by Facebook and currently includes learning resources made available by Youth and Media at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
Take Back The Tech! is a call to everyone, especially women and girls, to take control of technology to end violence against women.
Mnemonic is an NGO dedicated to archiving, investigating and memorializing digital information documenting human rights violations and international crimes.
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