On Tuesday, the 24th of March 2015, an afternoon symposium entitled “Surveillance, Big Data and Digital Rights” will be hosted by ERMeCC researchers Lela Mosemghvdlishvili, Daniel Trottier and Jason Pridmore in collaboration with The Netherlands – Flanders Communication Association. Keynote speakers include David Lyon, Marisol Sandoval and Benjamin Mako Hill.
Date: Tuesday, 24th March 2015
Time: 13:00-17:00 hours
Location: Erasmus University, van der Goot (M) building, room 1-18 (Athene)
Registration: please click here for more information and RSVP
Terabytes of data are continuously generated from people's digital activities. When using mobile or social media users produce an enormous amount of data including personal information, communicative messages, location and other digital interactions. This data is gathered, stored and analysed for use in marketing and advertisement purposes by platform providers. Many of these platforms, such as Facebook, are governed by privacy statements and terms of services that end users do not fully understand and may be irreversibly changed, leaving consumers with a choice to either abandon the service or agree to the new privacy terms.
Mass surveillance enabled through digital technologies is linked to a number of privacy risks, along with an erosion of civil rights and a loss of control over our personal information. Edward Snowden’s recent revelations suggest existence of a network of transnational surveillance with a complex relationship between private companies and state intelligence services, raising concerns regarding the political consequences of mass surveillance for democratic societies.
It is with the above developments in mind that researchers at ERMeCC are organizing a one-day symposium Surveillance, Big Data and Digital Rights at Erasmus University on Tuesday, 24th March 2015. The symposium presents three keynote lectures by prominent scholars and activists in this field (Prof. David Lyon, Dr. Marisol Sandoval and Dr. Benjamin Mako Hill), a practical workshop in Counter-surveillance Tools and Apps, and a public screening of the documentary The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz. Keynote lectures will address what constitutes surveillance, how different social relations are introduced or challenged through this practice and how corporate practices of social (ir)responsibility and digital rights activists respond (or not) to these challenges. This will be an opportunity for media and communication scholars (along with researchers in intersecting fields) to consider the current state of surveillance and surveillance studies in relation to the use of new and social media.
The event is made possible with support of the Media Systems and Policy division of the Netherlands Flanders Communication Association’s (NeFCA) and the Research Excellence Initiative (REI) project Transformations in the Production and Consumption of Media and Culture. The evening program is made accessible for students and general public by support of Studio Generale Erasmus.
For more information and RSVP, please click here or contact Lela Mosemghvdlishvili, Daniel Trottier or Jason Pridmore.