Why do we exist?
Technology is changing the way we live, work, even how we fall in love!
Tech and data are permeating all aspects of our lives. But while innovation in medicine or food follows protocols and is required to prove its usefulness or impact through studies and processes, innovation in tech and data is arriving at our homes, streets, wrists and pockets with very little oversight.
We love technology, but such love is coming at the expense of a healthy public debate, transparent data processes and accountability mechanisms.
But tech does not have to be like this. We believe that there is space for better tech. Tech that is aware of its impact and the power imbalances that permeate our societies. Tech that can bring transparency and accountability instead of “black boxes” of secret algorithms. We believe that the best tech is yet to come, and would like to contribute to making it happen.
In our website, events and public channels, you will find information on the different areas where we aim to create new debates, new knowledge and better tech.
In the last few years we have teamed up with labour unions to explore the future of work, with schools to bring light into how EdTech is impacting on children and education, with fundamental rights organisations to investigate how technology and biometrics is impacting on migration, borders and identity. We have also worked with sister organisations we admire, such as the EFF, Tactical Tech or OSF to look at data and politics, policing or corporate practices.
We have been working hard to gather all our work from the last few years and present it here in a way that is useful, clear and open. We still have a lot to do, and would love to bring you on board. Subscribe if you want to stay posted on our activities, drop us a line if you’d like to collaborate with us or bring our attention to your work, and keep on coming to see what we are up to!
Start your Eticas Journey now by immersing yourself in some of our most recent and highly received projects:
Is an exposé of how dirty data can feed into algorithms, rendering corrupt decisions and predictions about the future. Dirty data also hinges on how it’s collected and stored: pillage personal data collection or responsibly anonymized data collection/storage? Voluntary or brute force data collection/storage?
Is the first searchable database of algorithms with worldwide social impact in fields such as healthcare, finance, policing, social services, education and more.
We are surrounded by people who want to do things well and we want to get them all together in a shared work space at the heart of the technology community in Barcelona. Subscribe to our updates if you are interested in joining us in our Civic Tech House hub or visit here.
