Tessera

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 5h ago

What does it mean to centre the human in a A.I. world, when "the human" itself (as a category) has historically been structured by white supremacy, patriarchy, ableism and cis-heteronormativity? @apc.org Xonorika Kira writes ⬇️ @globalvoices.org globalvoices.org/2026/04/16/o... #AI #Human #AntiAI

An image of beautiful blue and pink sunset with a single tree in the front surrounded by big boulders; looks like a desert landscape.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · yesterday

Tired of pre-programmed responses generated by opaque algorithms designed to please you and hold your attention? @apc.org #AskAPeer by GenderIT.org & @globalvoices.org centers human creativity and connection in the age of AI ⬇️ globalvoices.org/special/dont... #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Human

Don't Ask AI, Ask A Peer
Illustration of three people sitting and talking with glowy cyber plant like things behind them.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · yesterday

Tired of pre-programmed responses generated by opaque algorithms designed to please you and hold your attention? @apc.org #AskAPeer by GenderIT.org & @globalvoices.org centers human creativity and connection in the age of AI ⬇️ globalvoices.org/special/dont... #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Human

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Bookmark this! A speculative story begins with the death of an artisanal miner in a “sacrifice zone” and dives into... not just loss, misinformation, and the erasure of working-class lives — but also inside “narrative repair” that remediates mass media ⬇️ @apc.org genderit.org/feminist-tal...

On a wall is text “The media is complicit in everything” and another poster that says “Stilfontein is now. Stop the sacrifice” with a few words below scratched/blurred out. There is a figure in the middle.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Bookmark this! A speculative story begins with the death of an artisanal miner in a “sacrifice zone” and dives into... not just loss, misinformation, and the erasure of working-class lives — but also inside “narrative repair” that remediates mass media ⬇️ @apc.org genderit.org/feminist-tal...

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 3mo ago

"We're not trying to build the next big app. We're trying to keep our tools alive long enough for people to survive." #RightToRepair The right to repair is one of the most powerful ways we know how to resist — peek into #FeministRepairLabs around the world ⬇️ @apc.org genderit.org/feminist-tal...

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 3mo ago

The digital divide is a political divide. Here's why: The ability to connect becomes a matter of survival in times of crises. It decides how you access emergency services, and the difference between being helped and being ignored ⬇️ @apc.org #ClimateCrisis #KeepItOn genderit.org/feminist-tal...

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Let's talk about the 🐘 in the room: in an increasingly #BigTech consolidated world, is taking back the tech still a real possibility? We have to say — despite it all — YES it is. From #FeministRepairLabs to #CodingCare, GenderIT.org delves into it ⬇️ @apc.org genderit.org/editorial/co...

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 3mo ago

#FeministTechJoy: For the first time in India, a project implemented in partnership with the Rajdhani App Workers Union was used to track (self-reported by workers from the "10 minute" delivery apps): ➡️ Earnings ➡️ Expenses ➡️ Working hours ➡️ Work-related concerns (1/3) @apc.org

Wage fluctuation in “ten minute delivery apps” is a feature; not a bug.

Wage fluctuation pushes and pull workers into a dynamic labour pool — to meet supply and demand.

In these apps, wage fluctuation is also gamified and incentivised. This keeps workers perpetually “playing” for more — as base pay constitutes only a minor share of the total income in most cases, it’s not a real choice.

Seeding change: A feminist action research project addressing wage disparities and platform power in India
Association for Progressive Communications

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 3mo ago

#WorldPressFreedomDay In the latest report by UN Women (April 2026), increasing levels of digital violence have forced a 50% jump in women journalists & media workers self-censoring on social media, bringing the total up to 45% Find more data at GenderIT.org ⬇️✍️🏿 @apc.org @pressfreedom.bsky.social

#WorldPressFreedomDay
Illustration of a woman journalist laughing and using a video camera. Text: We don’t just fear surveillance for political reasons — it feels intensely personal, intrusive in ways men may not fully grasp. Our private lives become ammunition.

Source - Weaponised Surveillance: Ethiopia’s Digital War on Women Human Rights Defenders
GenderIT.org

#WorldPressFreedomDay
Illustration of a disabled Hijabi woman writing on a desk while using a wheelchair. Text: They release intimate conversations to silence us. It's psychological warfare — knowing your most private moments can be weaponised publicly.

Source - Weaponised Surveillance: Ethiopia’s Digital War on Women Human Rights Defenders
GenderIT.org

#WorldPressFreedomDay
Illustration of a Hijabi woman using a camera. Text: Once, security officials entered my neighbourhood and started asking around about me. In a small community, people start to wonder what I’ve done wrong. Security officials treat people of my gender as if it’s a weak spot to shut us down.

Source: How India Weaponises Kashmiris Against Kashmiris
GenderIT.org

#WorldPressFreedomDay
Small illustrations of a microphone, press ID and notepad. Text: I isolated myself, stopped using my phone for some time completely, avoided sharing anything online and even limited my circle. It feels safer this way. Over time, I’ve tried to find strength in sharing with other journalists here. That sense of shared experience has helped, even if just a little.

Source: How India Weaponises Kashmiris Against Kashmiris
GenderIT.org

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 3mo ago

#WorldPressFreedomDay In the latest report by UN Women (April 2026), increasing levels of digital violence have forced a 50% jump in women journalists & media workers self-censoring on social media, bringing the total up to 45% Find more data at GenderIT.org ⬇️✍️🏿 @apc.org @pressfreedom.bsky.social

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 3mo ago

This #LabourDay, take a minute to read about the hidden labour (mostly of marginalised women & vulnerable communties) that A.I. systems rely on. The work is harmful, there is no adequate support, and oftentimes — no informed consent, either. 1/3 @apc.org www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

‘In the end, you feel blank’: India’s female workers watching hours of abusive content to train AI

Women in rural communities describe trauma of moderating violent and pornographic content for global tech companies

theguardian.com

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

What does feminist digital safety look like? Why is it important? Riddhima from #POVMumbai says: "Feminist digital safety means it is built into platforms, rather than being an afterthought... Safety is a pre-requisite to fully and freely participate online." #TakeBackTechJoy #16Days @apc.org

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Calling all feminists and allies! Repost & bookmark ⬇️ #TakeBackTheTech is completing 20 YEARS of research + activism on tech-facilitated violence — and you're invited 😍 Enter a virtual room of allies and co-creators organising with curiosity, joy, pleasure & creativity ➡️ s.apc.org/7F52aG @apc.org

Where are we now? What have we learned? Reflecting on 20 years of research and activism on tech-facilitated gender-based violence.

CSW70 Parallel Event

Wednesday March 18 12-13:30 UTC
Registration: https://s.apc.org/7F52aG

Feminists have been naming, resisting and documenting technology-facilitated violence since before it had a name. This session asks the hard questions: Where are we now? What have we learned? Where do we stand from impunity to justice?

Digital safety |Feminist research | Policy advocacy | Gender Justice | Collective action | 20 years

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Are you a technologist, #DigitalRights advocate or digital practitioner? [ONGOING] Co-hosted by @apc.org, the fourth Global Symposium on Technology-facilitated Gender-based Violence (TFGBV) is taking place right now — 4th & 5th March '26. Register now: tfgbvglobalsymposium.vfairs.com

"I want a safe and equitable internet"
two people on the side with one asking the other: Your opinion on our digital futures?
On the bottom is event information: 4 - 5 March 2026, virtual event
Fourth Global Symposium on Technology-facilitated Gender-based Violence (TFGBV)
Join global advocates, technologists and practitioners in shaping a safe and equitable digital future for all.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Yes, #OnlineStalking of #WHRDs is real. Marina from @derechosdigitales.org says: "We need a holistic approach.. intersectional, proportional, and contextualised. We need rights-based tech governance [because] when defenders are safe, our democracies are safe too." #16Days #HumanRightsDay @apc.org

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Can digital safety legislation be developed without relying on surveillance-heavy solutions? Annex from @pollicy.bsky.social says: "Digital safety regulations are important [but] we recommend government bodies to employ a gender lens in [forming] these regulations." #16Days #NoTechForWar @apc.org

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

#WHRDVoices: Read the reflection of Mariam, a #Palestinian woman human rights defender, on the recent #Israeli colonial violence, the challenges, and what kept Palestinian human rights defenders going. Now on #GenderITorg: genderit.org/Unyielding_A... #16DaysOfActivism #NoTechForWar @apc.org

Image of people mobilising for Palestine. In the backdrop is a large wall or fort-like structure which is outlined. Text: “From childhood, we learn that Palestinians live a different reality from other people.”

Image of people mobilising for Palestine. Text: “One becomes accustomed to going through Israeli military checkpoints, being subjected to searches, harassment, arrests, tear gas firings and sounds of gunfire.”

Partial image of the outlined wall/fort-like structure. Text: “You inherit a level of trauma which, though normalised, grows with you and leaves a long-term impact.”

Partial image of people mobilising. Text: “We also carry a particular anxiety as women, doing the best we can while thinking of our family and of others around us, who may, for example, face some form of surveillance or intimidation from the IOF or be subjected to visa or residence permit denial…”

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

“The moment an opinion divulges from the status quo, their personal identity becomes a weapon for character assassination.” Have you seen this happen around you? #India Read on @GenderITorg: genderit.org/feminist-tal... #NoTechForWar #NarrativesOfPower @apc.org

Illustration of a long-haired person holding up a signboard: We the people of India. Behind them is a fire.

A browser tab with web address: http://shameladyboy.sendthreats.com

The screen is divided into multiple panels with eyes, figures of women, hate speech, and sexual advertisements.

Browser tab with the same web address. Text: “The act of voicing dissent, engaging in political praxis, or even articulating alternative ideas has historically entailed significant socio-political risks… leaving them more vulnerable in a world governed by the digital.”

Under digital siege: How marginalised genders survive online stalking in India

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Coordinated disinformation campaigns use ethnicity and gender to target Muslim women in #SriLanka. Fawzul Himaya on how “online safety” laws are often used against free speech, and how solidarity can guide us to a better world: genderit.org/Unyielding_A... #WHRDVoices #16Days @apc.org

Outlined illustration of a tunnel that has two figures at the end. Text: “For an hour, he pulled up photos of women activists with their full names and questioned our ideals, our motives, and the way we dressed and held ourselves.”

Partial depiction of an outlined illustration of a tunnel that has two figures at the end. Text:“Groups from in and out of the country would question our ideals, share and attack our posts from social media, and question our intentions in livestreams to thousands of followers.”

Patterns of the outlined illustration of a tunnel that has two figures at the end. Text:“While I tried to guard my own privacy, it was during these campaigns that my extended family came to know of my work. I was warned against doing what I wanted to do. It was unnecessary, they said, humiliating and beneath me.”

Outlined illustration of a tunnel that has two figures at the end. Text:“I was betraying my community. I was challenging God. An uncle pulled me aside and said, “Whatever you’re doing, I hope you know what you’re getting into. You’ll have to answer for your actions in hell one day.”

(in small text) This post has been adapted from an anthology by Women Human Rights Defenders by Safety For Voices.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Women journalists and human rights defenders working in Lebanese frontlines face higher risks of cyber violence. “The idea [behind repression] is to silence journalists [and] stop reporting on violations [or]corruption.” #NoTechForWar Read on GenderITorg: genderit.org/feminist-tal... @apc.org

Illustration of a woman working on a computer. In the background are windows opening up to a warscape. Text: “What we saw during the last war, particularly the escalation, was that there were warning signs for people who work on documenting violence, that if you’re documenting what’s going on in the ground, you may become a target.”

— Ramzi Kaiss, a researcher with Human Rights Watch (on the war in Lebanon)

Illustration of a window opening up to a warscape. Text: Kaiss has been a part of multiple HRW investigations documenting Israel’s targeted technology-driven location attacks on media and aid workers in Lebanon in the last 15 months, including the one that killed Najjar, Reda and Qassem last October.

Israel has consistently denied HRW’s investigations, calling them false.

Illustration of a window opening up to a warscape. Text: Women media workers in Lebanon have historically faced discrimination and harassment within close quarters, especially the Lebanese political parties.

The recent past has seen Lebanese women journalists being compelled to flee the country, or being imprisoned for their work.

“In a country like Lebanon, where, already in peace times, there exists discriminatory laws against women, especially ones that don’t protect them from physical and sexual abuse, reporting on war becomes even more challenging for women.”

This post has been adapted from a collection on militarisation and technology by Safety For Voices.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

On #WorldDisabilityDay, read about the human cost of RSF’s monopoly on Sudanese communications. Aid groups, community kitchens and emergency response rooms struggle to deploy resources where they’re most needed. #NoTechForWar #16Days Read @apc.org #GenderITorg: genderit.org/feminist-tal...

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Women human rights defenders working on indigenous ownership of land and territories against extractivist governments and corporations face higher risks & dangers in their everyday life. Digital security becomes an urgent need that all defenders + communicators must prioritise. @apc.org #16Days

Illustration of a group of women looking at their phones together. Text: 1,428 acts of aggression
Against land defenders
In the last 5 years.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Gendered weapons in an information war look like… ➡️ Self-censorship after after observing fellow trans women being villainised and fetishised online ➡️ Blackmail after creating fake profiles through stolen and leaked media. ...and much more. Read: genderit.org/feminist-tal... @apc.org #16Days

Illustration of two figures having a conversation. One says: Bye bye gender ideology. The other, while looking at their phone, says: Western propaganda. Text: In August 2022, amidst political unrest and a worsening cost-of-living crisis, Pakistani influencers launched an anti-trans moral panic.

An illustration of a group of people in a pro-trans protest while a large hand with a hammer comes down on them. Text: In Pakistan, influencers targeted the centuries-old Khawaja Sira community (historically referred to as hijra), accusing them of being a foreign import despite their deep roots in South Asian history and spiritual traditions.

An illustration of a group of people in a pro-trans protest. Text: In an increasingly hostile digital environment where platforms prioritise engagement over safety, coordinated attacks cannot be curbed — leaving activists vulnerable.

Self-doubt, doxxing, deep fakes, harassment and physical harm become consequences.

(in small text) This post has been adapted from a collection on militarisation and technology by Safety For Voices.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

#RideRollLead is not just a group, it's a sanctuary where women feel seen, uplifted and empowered. #Pakistani women meet and find community on rides. #WHRDVoices: Reclaiming public spaces through incredible acts of resilience and mutual aid brings us so much joy! #16Days #TakeBackTechJoy @apc.org

Image of a woman cycling. Text: How Ayesha’s cycling group in Pakistan started with a bike commute… and a Facebook post!

More than 50 girls signed up within the first hour, but nobody had a bike.

Partial image of a woman cycling. Text: In her city, biking — even though therapeutic — wasn’t a safe activity for women. So even though there was interest, women didn’t own bikes.

“If you get the bikes, would you be interested in running a girls’ cycling group?”

Hand-drawn element of a cycling route and a cycle. Text: That’s how the first-ever girls cycling club in Karachi was born: "Ride, Roll, Lead”

What started with two cycles turned into 10 cycles within a month.

Image of a woman cycling. Text: “Cycling, when done in a community, becomes more than just movement. It's an act of resistance, existence, visibility, and a source of joy amidst all life’s problems.”

(in small text) This post has been adapted from an anthology by Women Human Rights Defenders by Safety For Voices.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Digital surveillance in Kashmir acts as a character certificate — based on social media activities, journalism or human rights work, making its way into the files of the CID. For women, the consequences (& harassment) are gendered. Read on GenderITorg: genderit.org/feminist-tal... @apc.org #16Days

Image of a group of security officials looking at multiple screens showing civilian footage. Text: “Security officials treat people of my gender as if it’s a weak spot to shut us down”.

How gender is weaponised against Women Human Rights Defenders in Kashmir

Image of a group of security officials looking at multiple screens showing civilian footage. Text: For women human rights defenders in Kashmir, technologies of war—particularly digital surveillance—have been re-engineered to operate as intimate tools of intimidation. Not only are their public actions monitored, but their private lives are dissected under the state’s algorithmic gaze.

Partial image of a group of security officials looking at multiple screens showing civilian footage. Text: Security officials use journalists’ digital presence to dissect private lives, from everyday movements to information on their families, during summons. This often means endangering sources or personal privacy.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

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.

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

On the #InternationalDayToEndViolenceAgainstSexWorkers, we're spotlighting the incredible work done by Nawara Women’s Network for the MENA region. They supported a digital tool to collect information about violence against sex workers in the MENA region. ⬇️ @apc.org www.apc.org/en/news/new-...

A translucent image of a woman holding up a sign. On a browser tab is text: Report VASW is a website, not an app — nothing needs to be downloaded.

Plus: using a website is safer than an app for people whose phones may be surveilled — it is harder to find on a device.

On a phone screen is text: It works like a form, and asks whether the violence was online (e.g. sharing personal information) or in real life (e.g. physical violence), what happened, where, and whether the survivor would like to be contacted by Nawara.

On the top right corner is text: Source: A new tool to help sex workers who experience violence
https://www.apc.org/en/news/new-tool-help-sex-workers-who-experience-violence-2

On the bottom right corner is text: #InternationalDayToEndViolenceAgainstSexWorkers

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Yes, #OnlineStalking of #WHRDs is real. Marina from @derechosdigitales.org says: "We need a holistic approach.. intersectional, proportional, and contextualised. We need rights-based tech governance [because] when defenders are safe, our democracies are safe too." #16Days #HumanRightsDay @apc.org

Take Back The Tech!@takebackthetech.bsky.social · 8mo ago

What does feminist digital safety look like? Why is it important? Riddhima from #POVMumbai says: "Feminist digital safety means it is built into platforms, rather than being an afterthought... Safety is a pre-requisite to fully and freely participate online." #TakeBackTechJoy #16Days @apc.org