Reclaim Tech: A Community Movement
Janet Vertesi and Andy Hull outline organizing strategies for technologists seeking ethical autonomy, digital rights, and collective community action.
Summary
Building Grassroots Power in Technology
Janet Vertesi and Andy Hull examine the growing movement among engineers, researchers, and technologists to demand ethical accountability and exert collective leverage over surveillance and defense technologies.
Labor and Digital Activism Frameworks
The speakers provide case studies of workplace advocacy, whistleblowing protections, and community solidarity actions that have successfully steered tech projects toward the public interest.
Sustaining Community Momentum
The talk offers concrete toolkits for community building, coalition defense, and maintaining ethical integrity while working inside modern tech organizations.
Related talks
Main Stage·49 min
Cooper Quintin · Lisa Femia · Thorin Klosowski · Alexis Hancock · Hannah Zhao
Electronic Frontier Foundation attorneys, technologists, and activists answer community questions on digital rights, surveillance law, privacy legislation, and AI policy.
Main Stage·15 min
Priest
Longtime DEF CON organizer Priest hosts an impromptu session of Spot the Fed, the classic conference social deduction contest unmasking law enforcement attendees.
Main Stage·51 min
Electronic Frontier Foundation Staff explores meet the eff at DEF CON 18, examining eff and practical defenses.