Mon 13 Nov 2023
14.00-15.45
Venue: Silverstone Building Sussex Humanities Lab, University of Sussex
Free, all welcome
Disabled access

Many people will be familiar with that targeted ad that follows them around the web, or that unnerving feeling that Facebook or Google is tracking their every move – even perhaps listening to their conversations. In the age of ‘dataveillance’, platform providers use such techniques to predict our age, gender and interests. But who does Meta/FB really think you are? What kind of identity has Google decided you inhabit?

This workshop tackled these questions, by offering participants a chance to get to engage with their data self. We discovered how our algorithmic identities are created, what they can and cannot know about us, and what we can and cannot know about them. We particularly explored and questioned the algorithmic scene in relation to non-binary and transgendered living.

But this was no tech workshop – no experience with data required! Instead, participants got the chance to creatively collaborate with their data self: by a writing a short story, based on the selves that Facebook and Google think they are.

The workshop was led by Dr Tanya Kant, from the Problematising Personalisation project in discussion with Dr Sandra Nelson from the Feminist Approaches to Computational Technology Network. Prof Margaretta Jolly chaired.

Drinks and nibbles provided! This was an in-person event only.

Registration required at: EVENTBRITE

Questions please contact K.Malone@sussex.ac.uk