bridging the gap: tech ↔︎ activism
TRANSCRIPT
csvconf, May 2016 @zararah
Bridging the gap: tech ↔ activism
By Zara Rahman @zararah
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
background
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
#responsibledata
https://theengineroom.orghttps://responsibledata.io
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
https://responsibledata.io/reflection-stories/
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
…sometimes tech really DOES improve people's lives
Women on Waves: the Abortion Drone
The Counted
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
…sometimes it doesn't.
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
I'll talk about…
• Using sensitive data
• Analysing data
• Common challenges
• Questions to ask yourself
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Using sensitive dataReflection Story #6
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
MediCapt
• Standardising data collection
• Digitising data collection
• Iterating upon tool choice
• Reality check
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
MediCapt
• Standardising data collection
• Digitising data collection
• Iterating upon tool choice
• Reality check
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
MediCapt
• Standardising data collection
• Digitising data collection
• Iterating upon tool choice
• Reality check
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
MediCapt
• Standardising data collection
• Digitising data collection
• Iterating upon tool choice
• Reality check
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Sharing reports of violence
• Personally Identifiable Information
• Future proofing
• Collaboration
• Launch
Reflection Story #3
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Sharing reports of violence
• Personally Identifiable Information
• Future proofing
• Collaboration
• Launch
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Sharing reports of violence
• Personally Identifiable Information
• Future proofing
• Collaboration
• Launch
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Sharing reports of violence
• Personally Identifiable Information
• Future proofing
• Collaboration
• Launch
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Sharing reports of violence
• Personally Identifiable Information
• Future proofing
• Collaboration
• Launch
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Data on killings in the Syrian conflict
https://hrdag.org
Reflection Story #7
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Data sources for casualties in Syria• March 15 Group
• Syrian government
• Syrian Center for Statistics and Research
• Syrian Network for Human Rights
• Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
• Syrian Revolution General Council
• Syria Shuhada Website
• Violations Documentation Centre, the documentation arm of the Local Coordination Committees
• Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies
• …and more.
– Brian Root, Numbers are Only Human, page 6
Imagine the decision that might have to be made to categorize a typical citizen with no military training, who has picked up a gun shortly before his death. Perhaps the coder might have a bias to continue calling this person a civilian. But this person took up
arms against the government, did they not?
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Image copied with permission from ‘Searching for Trends: Analyzing Patterns in Conflict Violence Data’ by Megan Price and Anita Gohdes
Documented deaths in Tartus
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
readers' visual literacy
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Data in the Ebola response
http://cis-india.org/papers/ebola-a-big-data-disaster
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Data in the Ebola response
• Using Call Detail Records (CDRs)
• Getting access to the data
• Decision-making
• Digital infrastructure
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Data in the Ebola response
• Using Call Detail Records (CDRs)
• Getting access to the data
• Decision-making
• Digital infrastructure
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Data in the Ebola response
• Using Call Detail Records (CDRs)
• Getting access to the data
• Decision-making
• Digital infrastructure
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
Data in the Ebola response
• Using Call Detail Records (CDRs)
• Getting access to the data
• Decision-making
• Digital infrastructure
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
commonalities
• Admitting uncertainty: quickly changing, grey areas
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
commonalities
• Admitting uncertainty: quickly changing, grey areas
• Context: the numbers aren't everything
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
commonalities
• Admitting uncertainty: quickly changing, grey areas
• Context: the numbers aren't everything
• Diversity: importance of different skills + perspectives
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
commonalities
• Admitting uncertainty: quickly changing, grey areas
• Context: the numbers aren't everything
• Diversity: importance of different skills + perspectives
• Collaboration: communication + building with
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
conclusion // questions to ask yourself
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
what might an adversary do with your data?
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
what's your holistic security plan?
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
what does informed consent look like for your users?
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
what levels of technical literacy do your users have?
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
in your team, whose job is it to think about the ethics?
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
questions to ask yourself• What might an adversary might do with your data?
• What's your holistic security plan?
• What does informed consent mean for the people you're working with?
• What levels of technical literacy do your users have?
• Whose job is it to think about the ethics of what you're doing?
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
tech + data projects can have all sorts of unforeseen consequences
@zararahcsvconf, May 2016
…even when they are well-intentioned.
