Online rights and alternative technologies lab
© Alex Bédard
Description
For better or worse, digital and internet technologies are increasingly becoming an integral part of our social and political relationships.
Ranging from damage to our privacy by a few giants (GAFAM: Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft), to online violence, to the risks of abuses of mass surveillance capitalism and facial recognition technologies used by the police, which are likely to exacerbate systemic racism, to the impact of large technology companies on the future of cities, transforming the neighborhoods where they set up shop and contributing to gentrification at all levels, there is no shortage of examples to illustrate that concerns about protecting the common good, democratic principles, equality, and human rights are intrinsically linked to digital issues.
On the other hand, digital resistance is being organized on social media and in terms of developing alternative infrastructure. Whether it be software or applications designed for activists (email, discussion lists, encryption, applications, etc.) or free and open-source software (F/OSS), there are many technologies that have been around for a long time and aim to create freer and more emancipatory spaces and tools.
That is why Alternatives has taken a keen interest in and developed projects and programs on the issue of technology and the Internet since its inception. How can progressive movements take up technology to advance social justice? How can they be sufficiently or adequately equipped to monitor decisions regarding regulations around the use of technology and the Internet and denounce the problems that arise? These are the types of questions that have driven our work to date. And we are still seeking to identify and find ways for civil society to take ownership of these issues.
More recently, the pandemic, with its emphasis on remote working and lockdowns, has highlighted a wide range of vulnerabilities on a large scale. As inequalities widen, as evidenced by the digital divide, the appeal of the aggregation and sharing platforms of the web giants is growing in line with their eagerness to make a profit.
In response to the need for engagement on digital issues, this project aims to establish a research and action institution whose main objective is to produce research and tools at the intersection of technology, political activism, and critical thinking. The Laboratory on Online Rights and Alternative Technologies (Lab-Delta) stands out for its approach to a free, democratic, and accessible Internet for all and aims to become the first progressive, Francophone think tank on digital issues. Lab-Delta also wants to become a place for experimentation in community engagement and the adoption of tools, skills, and new digital activism practices so that technologies can be used to develop a society focused on social justice, respect for rights, and equality.
Objectives
The main objective of this project is to create a research and action institute focusing on issues of Internet governance and human rights in the digital world, particularly the rights of women and minorities.
In particular, the work and tools developed by Lab-Delta focus on studying and analyzing issues related to the exercise and promotion of human rights in the digital world and debates raised by the development of web infrastructure and Internet governance. In addition, the project aims to encourage various audiences, particularly post-secondary students and individuals involved in civil society organizations, collectives, and groups in Quebec and French-speaking Canada, to engage and mobilize around these issues.
Finally, Lab-Delta aims to have an impact on public debate and intends to participate in the development of better synergies at the national and international levels on issues raised by the development of Web infrastructure and Internet governance.
Partners
The project is being implemented in partnership with the Université de Montréal, which is responsible for the research component, led by Stéphane Couture, assistant professor in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (Department of Communication).
The project is being implemented with financial support from the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA).
Activities
The project has several components: research, mobilization, and tools. The project includes conducting an exploratory survey and interviews to better understand the practices, needs, and concerns of grassroots groups in Quebec’s French-speaking civil society on digital issues. The research component also includes the production of reports. Various mobilization activities and tools are planned, including the launch of a chatbot as part of a creative experiment in the cross-disciplinary fields of art and technology, outside of traditional channels of activism. There will also be webinars on topics such as Internet infrastructure and governance, digital inequalities, and online rights violations. The tools developed as part of the project also include the design of audiovisual productions aimed at disseminating information and developing critical thinking about digital technologies and the issues they raise.
Documentation
To view the project’s achievements, visit the Lab-Delta website at the following address: https://www.labdelta.ca/
Impacts de ce projet
Pas d'articles avec ces critères...
