Why Digital Security Matters To Me
by Kyla Massey, Digital Justice Fellow at the Center for Media Justice
When I was a kid, I constantly wondered about all of the ways that technology would give me access to the life of my dreams: flying cars, teleportation from one place to the next (who really likes morning commutes?!), and a robot friend who would help me with my homework or turn into a car and take me on joy rides. Okay, that last one is more Transformers than anything, but still.
However, when I grew up, I realized that flying cars were probably not going to happen in my lifetime. And I also realized that when it came to technology, I, like most people, enjoyed the ease with which I could order food to be delivered or check in on friends via social media, but there were lots of things that I didn’t understand and had no control over regarding these tools woven so intimately into my everyday life.
Nowadays, as I browse online, scroll through Snapchat, or order meals on GrubHub, I spend a lot more time thinking about digital security.
Digital security matters to me because when I think of the history of advancing technology and the power struggles that have followed closely behind, I recognize that those advancements have always sparked huge growth for some, while dramatically limiting the lives of many others.
Because white, male technologists have always been at the forefront of these digital inventions, their products both consciously and subconsciously perpetuate white supremacy and patriarchy. Like with every other function of systemic oppression, Black people and other marginalized groups are left to depend on technologies that never take into account their actual needs, perspectives, and safety. Digital security matters to me because, simply put, history shows that as long as our stories about how technology can threaten and harm our communities aren’t shared, our people won’t ever know how to be fully equipped to use technology to advance true justice. Whether or not we ever get those flying cars.
And that’s why we want and need to hear from you. Take this Movement Surveillance survey, developed by the Center for Media Justice and Equality Labs, to share your experiences with technology and help build a safer internet for our communities.
Then, visit our Defend Our Movements knowledge base to take a first step toward becoming more aware about how online tech can negatively impact our communities and, more importantly, how we can move toward more secure movement building.
You’re not alone in this. You’ve never been. Let’s come together and build strategies for collective resilience and resistance online.
Join us for upcoming conversations around resources, exploring our digital bodies, understanding risk assessments, and navigating safer social media experiences. Help us continue to #DefendOurMovements and complete the Movement Surveillance survey to share your experiences with online surveillance and harassment: http://bit.ly/mvmtsurvey
