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takebackthetech.bsky.social
Take Back The Tech!
@takebackthetech.bsky.social
260 followers 21 following 38 posts
Take control of technology to end violence against women! An @apc.bsky.social campaign working with grassroots movements around the world since 2007.
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#25N #NoMoreExcuse
takebackthetech.bsky.social Take Back The Tech! @takebackthetech.bsky.social · 11h
Personal phone calls, once assumed private, frequently surface on social media in Ethiopia.

These leaks rarely come from formal institutions. Instead, they’re disseminated by quasi-influencers and government-aligned digital actors. #NoTechForWar

On GenderIT @apc.org: genderit.org/edition/focu...
Central image of a woman speaking on a phone with a mass of people around her. Text: “It’s not just about politics. It’s about humiliation. They turn our private lives into weapons.” How surveillance became a political strategy in Ethiopia Image on the side of people milling about. Their eyes are completely white and screen-like. Text: Surveillance in Ethiopia has evolved beyond a mere function of the state. (and deployed against women, its effects are particularly devastating.) Image on the bottom left corner of people with screen-like eyes peeking out. Text: Tools once reserved for military intelligence—call interception, movement tracking, metadata harvesting—are now used to intimidate, humiliate, and silence women human rights defenders (WHRDs). Image on the bottom of a group of people with screen-like eyes. Text: This ecosystem thrives on fear. Surveillance doesn’t merely extract information—it amplifies vulnerability, intersecting with deep-rooted misogyny, stigma, and social exclusion. This post has been adapted from a collection on militarisation and technology by Safety For Voices.
November 25, 2025 at 8:47 PM
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andrewgarton.bsky.social
Surveillance in Ethiopia has evolved beyond a mere function of the state (and deployed against women, its effects, writes genderit.org, are particularly devastating).
November 25, 2025 at 9:29 PM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
“I dream of a world where women human rights defenders have robust support [and] therapy is affordable. Where healing is a line item in every donor budget."

#WHRDVoices: Zipporah (Kenya) writes about burnout, and how sustainable activism must be rooted in rest. #TakeBackTechJoy #16Days @apc.org
Image of women sitting around a table and talking. Text: People imagine activism is glamorous, the hashtags and panels. But we cry in matatus. We skip meals. We stretch stipends whenever they find us. We attend funerals of girls we couldn’t save. Text on a patterned background: We don’t all wear capes. Many of us wear aprons, lesos, worn-out hope, and a knowing smile that hides exhaustion. Text on a patterned background: In meetings, our voices as women are often interrupted. In protest planning, our safety is an afterthought. We are told we are too emotional, too soft, too distracted by our children, our hormones, our families. But we show up. Every time. Text on a patterned background with women talking on the side: Honestly, sometimes, we just want to rest. To pause. To breathe. But guilt comes flooding in. Who will carry the work? Who will protect the girls? Who will answer the calls?.
November 26, 2025 at 5:29 AM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
Personal phone calls, once assumed private, frequently surface on social media in Ethiopia.

These leaks rarely come from formal institutions. Instead, they’re disseminated by quasi-influencers and government-aligned digital actors. #NoTechForWar

On GenderIT @apc.org: genderit.org/edition/focu...
Central image of a woman speaking on a phone with a mass of people around her. Text: “It’s not just about politics. It’s about humiliation. They turn our private lives into weapons.” How surveillance became a political strategy in Ethiopia Image on the side of people milling about. Their eyes are completely white and screen-like. Text: Surveillance in Ethiopia has evolved beyond a mere function of the state. (and deployed against women, its effects are particularly devastating.) Image on the bottom left corner of people with screen-like eyes peeking out. Text: Tools once reserved for military intelligence—call interception, movement tracking, metadata harvesting—are now used to intimidate, humiliate, and silence women human rights defenders (WHRDs). Image on the bottom of a group of people with screen-like eyes. Text: This ecosystem thrives on fear. Surveillance doesn’t merely extract information—it amplifies vulnerability, intersecting with deep-rooted misogyny, stigma, and social exclusion. This post has been adapted from a collection on militarisation and technology by Safety For Voices.
November 25, 2025 at 6:09 PM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
Read about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it: takebackthetech.net/blog/notechf...

#16DaysOfActivism #TakeBackTheTech [2/2] @apc.org @whrdic.bsky.social @whrdinitiative.bsky.social @hrdag.org @pollicy.bsky.social
#NoTechForWar: Networking resistance to #TakeBackTechJoy for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 2025 | Take Back The Tech
takebackthetech.net
November 24, 2025 at 4:44 PM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
Across the globe, Women Human Rights Defenders organise for justice & equality.

#WHRDs face intense attacks — disinformation, surveillance, stalking — but continue the work in a remarkable display of hope & care.

So even as we say #NoTechForWar, we continue to #TakeBackTechJoy! [1/2] @apc.org
On a dark purple background are surveillance icons and "16 Days of Activism" is on the top left corner. The central image is of diverse women holding glowing tech devices, surrounded by flowers. Text in the middle: Networking resistance #NoTechForWar
November 24, 2025 at 4:44 PM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
Across the globe, Women Human Rights Defenders organise for justice & equality.

#WHRDs face intense attacks — disinformation, surveillance, stalking — but continue the work in a remarkable display of hope & care.

So even as we say #NoTechForWar, we continue to #TakeBackTechJoy! [1/2] @apc.org
On a dark purple background are surveillance icons and "16 Days of Activism" is on the top left corner. The central image is of diverse women holding glowing tech devices, surrounded by flowers. Text in the middle: Networking resistance #NoTechForWar
November 24, 2025 at 4:44 PM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
In the midst of a civil conflict, #Myanmar is facing the after-effects of a powerful earthquake 🇲🇲

Grassroots response is crucial as communities were already vulnerable and resources stretched thin.

Here's how you can help: www.apc.org/en/news/myan...

RT and share widely! @apc.org #MyanmarRelief
Myanmar earthquake crisis: Learn more and support grassroots relief efforts
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck the Sagaing region in northwestern Myanmar on 28 March, with tremors that were felt across Myanmar and Thailand. Countless families lost their home...
www.apc.org
April 2, 2025 at 7:16 PM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
So, yes, we are all connected — in this reality, how can you participate in real, tangible ways towards the struggle for Palestinian self-determination?

How can you resist forces that seem too big and vast to take on? (2/2)

#TakeBackTheTech interviews ➡️ takebackthetech.net/blog/big-tec...
"Big Tech almost demands our silence in exchange for the use of their services." PART 1: Interview with DJ Outvertigo Featuring an illustration of the interviewee by Laura Ibanez
March 26, 2025 at 1:32 AM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
AI + tech have been used against Palestinians for a long time now, with Palestine being the “testing ground” for warfare technologies that are then eventually exported around the 🌍

@timnitgebru.bsky.social & others lay bare Palestinian digital realities ⬇️ 1/2
www.dair-institute.org/blog/NoTechF...
#NoTechForApartheid
The Distributed AI Research Institute is a space for independent, community-rooted AI research, free from Big Tech’s pervasive influence.
www.dair-institute.org
March 26, 2025 at 1:31 AM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
AI + tech have been used against Palestinians for a long time now, with Palestine being the “testing ground” for warfare technologies that are then eventually exported around the 🌍

@timnitgebru.bsky.social & others lay bare Palestinian digital realities ⬇️ 1/2
www.dair-institute.org/blog/NoTechF...
#NoTechForApartheid
The Distributed AI Research Institute is a space for independent, community-rooted AI research, free from Big Tech’s pervasive influence.
www.dair-institute.org
March 26, 2025 at 1:31 AM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
#BlueSky, help us reach the right people!

🚨 We are seeking proposals & pitches for stories, analysis + collective experiences that address digital stalking from an intersectional feminist lens 🏳️‍🌈

🚨 Send pitch (300 words) to [email protected] 📧

🚨 PAID

Details: genderit.org/resources/ca...
Text: Call for Pitches Power Narratives - Unmasking Digital Stalkers If you think the term "stalking" has expanded to include new technological tactics and dynamics, we want to hear your perspective. Each contributor will be paid 500 USD upon submission of final entries. Deadline: March 27, 2025 https://genderit.org/resources/call-pitches-power-narratives-unmasking-digital-stalkers On the left are icons of a keyboard and a pen, as well as a computer with the Take Back The Tech! logo on it.
March 25, 2025 at 3:32 AM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
Targeted and mass surveillance of women and queer human rights defenders uses #GenderedDisinformation when it manifests. #CSW69

Their private lives may be used to discredit their work or shame them — but this specific targeting needs to be acknowledged and redressed. (4/4)
Blood stain on the bottom left of the image. Text: Attacking the “honour” or reputation of women human rights defenders puts their lives at risk.
March 8, 2025 at 4:56 PM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
Yet anti-surveillance or "protection" cannot become an excuse for governments to create laws that unfairly target freedom of expression.

Anti-cybercrime measures must be grounded in the principles of legality, necessity & proportionality. (3/4)

🔗 www.apc.org/en/pubs/when... 🔗
Illustrations of a computer setup and a keyboard on the left and right side of the image respectively. Text: [Anti-GBV laws] are used to legitimise disproportionate censorship and surveillance measures, and in some cases are even used against those who invoke them for their protection. When protection becomes an excuse for criminalisation: Gender considerations on cybercrime frameworks Derechos Digitales and APC
March 8, 2025 at 4:56 PM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
#WHRDs are at a higher risk of having their private lives used to discredit them. #CSW69

Private actors representing corporate and vested interests also deploy surveillance tech against WHRDs to discredit women and chill free expression. #InternationalWomensDay (2/4) #IWD #IWD2025
March 8, 2025 at 4:56 PM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
Emerging technologies harm #WomenHumanRightsDefenders in newer ways.

State-backed military-grade surveillance technology targets #WHRDs to impact their personal & professional lives. #InternationalWomensDay #CSW69

@apc.org's open letter to states: www.apc.org/en/pubs/open... (1/4) #IWD #IWD2025
Text with illustrations of women in media at the bottom and a surveillance eye on the right: “Dozens of women journalists and human rights defenders in Bahrain and Jordan have had their phones hacked using NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.” https://theintercept.com/2022/01/18/pegasus-spyware-nso-group-women-activists-journalists/
March 8, 2025 at 4:56 PM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
Emerging technologies harm #WomenHumanRightsDefenders in newer ways.

State-backed military-grade surveillance technology targets #WHRDs to impact their personal & professional lives. #InternationalWomensDay #CSW69

@apc.org's open letter to states: www.apc.org/en/pubs/open... (1/4) #IWD #IWD2025
Text with illustrations of women in media at the bottom and a surveillance eye on the right: “Dozens of women journalists and human rights defenders in Bahrain and Jordan have had their phones hacked using NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.” https://theintercept.com/2022/01/18/pegasus-spyware-nso-group-women-activists-journalists/
March 8, 2025 at 4:56 PM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
#ArtificialIntelligence is evolving to become a part of our daily lives — it is now more enmeshed than it ever was.

It creates photographs, videos and text... and women's images are made to look "sexy", while prejudices remain constant in many answers. (1/4)

Thread ⬇️ #CSW69 #IWD #IWD2025
Artificial intelligence is a feminist issue.
March 8, 2025 at 10:59 AM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
Calling all #WomenHumanRightsDefenders!

As #tech continues to evolve, women (esp. #WHRDs) stay at an increased risk of technology-facilitated GBV, like:
🧲 doxxing
🧲 non-consensual sharing of intimate images
🧲 sexualised deep fakes
🧲 online stalking

Thread ⬇️ (1/4) #CSW69 #IWD #IWD2025
Text with a Twitter logo: On average, women receive abusive or problematic tweets once every 30 seconds. Women of colour are more impacted than their white counterparts, and Black women are disproportionately targeted. - Charting the Future: Revisiting Beijing's Commitments in the Digital Era Hija Kamran
March 8, 2025 at 9:47 AM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
Guess what: Many women and queer folks don't have real access to the internet, even when they are connected to it. #FeministPrinciplesOfTheInternet

If your connection is monitored, threatened, and/or secret, it's not real access.

So, then — what is? Thread ⬇️ (1/4) #CSW69 #FPI #IWD2025 #IWD
Image with FPI Access logo and text: “A feminist internet starts with enabling more women and queer persons to enjoy universal, acceptable, affordable, unconditional, open, meaningful and equal access to the internet."
March 8, 2025 at 8:15 AM
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Feminised labor, anti-sex work stigma, the informal economy & the platform-mediated gig-economy makes webcamming a ready site for multiple forms of labor exploitation. @hrw.org

#InternationalDayToEndViolenceAgainstSexWorkers #TakeBackTheTech 3/3

www.hrw.org/report/2024/...
“I Learned How to Say No”
The 175-page report, “‘I Learned How to Say No’: Labor Abuses & Sexual Exploitation in Colombian Webcam Studios,” exposes working conditions in webcam studios in Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, and Palmira, w...
www.hrw.org
December 17, 2024 at 11:38 AM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
“They know when you are using the bathroom."

There is constant surveillance by the studio's owners. Maria told @hrw.org that in addition to her streaming camera, there are also surveillance cameras in the restrooms, locker room where models change clothes, and in the staircase. 2/3
December 17, 2024 at 11:38 AM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
Maria appears on at least 11 different adult webcam platforms but has never seen/personally signed the ToS for any of them.

An account cannot be created w/o signing, so she believes the studio owners must have accepted the terms on her behalf when they created her accounts. 1/3
A person holding a red umbrella, facing away from the viewer. Text: A client was being really violent and the studio just told me to continue. I kept saying ‘I don't want to’ and they kept saying ‘you have to stay connected.’ I pointed the camera to my lap so I could cry. Maria, a webcam model in Bogotá, February 2024 “I Learned How to Say No” Labor Abuses & Sexual Exploitation in Colombian Webcam Studios Human Rights Watch December 17: International Day To End Violence Against Sex Workers
December 17, 2024 at 11:38 AM
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takebackthetech.bsky.social
As we winded down 2024, we rested and grieved the multiple wars ongoing across the world.

We had DJ Outvertigo on the #TakeBackTheTech mixtapes — a Palestinian refugee researcher born + raised in Lebanon — curate resources on Palestinian resistance.

Intersections of #AI & warfare: bit.ly/tbttboard
An illustration of DJ Outvertigo, decorated with olive branches, kuffiyeh patterns and elements of the sea
January 3, 2025 at 10:37 AM
takebackthetech.bsky.social
As we winded down 2024, we rested and grieved the multiple wars ongoing across the world.

We had DJ Outvertigo on the #TakeBackTheTech mixtapes — a Palestinian refugee researcher born + raised in Lebanon — curate resources on Palestinian resistance.

Intersections of #AI & warfare: bit.ly/tbttboard
An illustration of DJ Outvertigo, decorated with olive branches, kuffiyeh patterns and elements of the sea
January 3, 2025 at 10:37 AM