Imani Thompson arrived at Wonderville Bar in Brooklyn, appearing poised for a DJ performance, socializing, or dancing exuberantly with friends. While she is likely to enjoy the latter, Thompson also serves as a cybersecurity organizer and the facilitator of the evening’s activities.
Thompson, alongside the New York City-based tech advocacy group Cypurr Collective, is hosting an event titled “Break Up With Google.” This initiative aims to educate participants on how to reduce their exposure to surveillance by major technology companies. Thompson emphasized the importance of creating an enjoyable atmosphere for learning, which is why DJs will be entertaining guests until the early morning hours.
“People need a comfortable setting to navigate some challenging topics,” Thompson remarked. “Learning to code a bit in a local bar is far less intimidating than doing so in a classroom environment.”
At 26 years old, Thompson has organized numerous events that she describes as “cybersecurity in the guise of a party.” These gatherings, which include wine nights and events at local LGBTQ+ venues, target individuals looking to move away from reliance on tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. At these social occasions, attendees can sip drinks and engage with new acquaintances while acquiring skills to remove their personal information from search engines or activate their devices’ advanced privacy features.
Similar workshops, conferences, and parties are emerging in cities across the nation, including Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh. Activists are working to empower communities to reclaim control over their digital interactions by utilizing more secure and openly managed platforms or even creating their own digital tools.
A recent YouGov survey indicated that 61% of Americans harbor concerns regarding their digital security, with many acknowledging the significance of limiting access to personal information. However, only 33% reported taking actionable steps to address these concerns. Events focused on tech privacy are providing individuals with the resources and knowledge needed to safeguard their data without abandoning the technologies that are integral to modern society.
“In matters of digital security, the perspective should shift from ‘I have nothing to hide’ to ‘I have something to protect,’” Thompson stated.
The applications and services that most individuals depend on for communication, shopping, and navigation enhance our lives but also expose us to significant risks. The data that technology companies gather from our online activities can reveal sensitive information, as illustrated by Luc Rocher, a senior research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, who referenced findings from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL). This data is often sold through real-time bidding (RTB) auctions, allowing countless companies to compete for the opportunity to deliver targeted advertisements—a process likened to experiencing a data breach many times each day, according to the ICCL.
Moreover, consumers face heightened risks of surveillance. Government agencies in the U.S. have long utilized various monitoring initiatives, including the National Security Agency’s extensive collection of telecommunication data. A recent investigation found that the FBI overstepped its authority in spying on demonstrators during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Additionally, Congress has significantly increased the budget for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to $85 billion, part of which is allocated for contracts with Palantir, a company specializing in AI for intelligence agencies, and the Israeli spyware firm Paragon. Reports from multiple activists and journalists have revealed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is conducting extensive surveillance of protests in locations such as Minnesota and Los Angeles, although the specific methods remain unclear. Furthermore, FBI Director Kash Patel recently acknowledged that his agency is purchasing Americans’ data from online brokers.
The substantial influence wielded by tech giants over the daily lives of Americans encompasses communication, shopping habits, and even the functionality of household appliances. Corporations like Meta and OpenAI, which initially promised enhanced connectivity and user autonomy, have increasingly commodified user attention and data, ultimately undermining democratic freedoms.
“On the whole, we are navigating the most advanced surveillance system in human history,” noted Daly Barnett, a senior researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “As the sophistication and reach of these surveillance systems grow, so too do authoritarian movements. It is logical that these trends would escalate concurrently, and many people are starting to recognize this connection and seek solutions.”
Fairouz, a member of Resist Tech Monopolies (RTM) in Seattle, who wishes to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, stated that their volunteer organization has experienced a surge in interest recently. RTM conducts community-oriented events, including book clubs, movie nights, open office hours, and a “discover tech” event aimed at introducing local residents to technology concepts.
“We had to halt our onboarding process because the demand has outpaced our capacity to accommodate it,” they explained. “We see interest from both tech-savvy individuals and those who are not familiar with technology, especially from political and grassroots groups eager to educate their members.”
RTM is affiliated with a broader, international tech coalition known as Co-op Cloud, which consists of various tech organizations dedicated to creating and sharing tools based on libre software, allowing users to freely use and distribute resources such as LibreOffice, a viable alternative to Microsoft Office, or the Apache web server.
