Discover Tactical Tech's projects, resources, and interventions that
explore the intersection of gender and technology.
Tactical Tech has consistently incorporated a gender-focused approach to explore and address the socio-political and environmental impacts of technology on society. Guided by this vision, we have implemented diverse initiatives, projects, and interventions aimed at empowering individuals—especially women, women-identified, trans*, and gender non-conforming individuals—and their communities to navigate and mitigate the effects of digital technologies. The following is a selection of Tactical Tech’s innovative, collaborative, and impactful initiatives and resources designed to be replicable, scalable, and adaptable to different contexts.
Tactical Tech’s Gender and Tech project has empowered women with technical skills and practical knowledge to combat online harassment and hate speech while building networks. Between 2014 and 2018, the Gender and Technology Institutes (GTIs) trained women human rights defenders in regions such as Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, and Mexico to address risks and strengthen local capacity. The project developed a bilingual curriculum with over 20 workshops on topics like Hacking Hate Speech and Technological Sovereignty and created the Gendersec Wiki, a resource hub supporting ongoing community impact through hundreds of follow-on activities.
Women use technology to reimagine and co-create inclusive, just, and equal societies, whether through campaigns, debates, or demonstrations. However, these same technologies expose them to significant risks and threats. This website offers practical tools for navigating digital security and privacy from a gender perspective, fostering learning, inspiration, and collaboration. It also sparks critical debate on balancing safety and wellbeing in a world where technology exploits attention and data, while governments fall short in protection. Dedicated to resilient women, trans*, and gender non-conforming individuals, XYZ celebrates their vision and strength in inspiring communities.
[E-learning] Digital Enquirer Kit, Module 1, Lesson 1. Build Your Digital Enquirer Mindset. Strengthen your self-awareness when it comes to researching, collecting, and sharing information, learn about the Do No Harm principle, and how to minimize risks for you and your community. Explore
[Data Detox guide] The elephant in the room: AI and online harassment. In this Data Detox guide, we’ll look into how AI is being used to supercharge harassment – especially NCII. You’ll learn more about what’s happening and find out how to take back some control. Explore
[Data Detox guide] Cycles of influence: decide who knows your body. In this Data Detox guide, you’ll explore ways to track your cycle and may even discover a method that works best for you—as well as how to do it as safely as possible. Explore
[Data Detox guide] None of their business: how to choose a private cycle-tracking app. In this article, we focus on cycle tracking apps: what are they and what can you do to use them while keeping your data as safe as possible? Explore
[Data Detox guide] Who’s the Third Wheel in Your Dating Life? Tinder, Grindr, Happn, OkCupid, Match, eHarmony... there are so many dating services out there. This Data Detox Kit article will introduce you to the third wheel in your dating life and give you tips on how to share less and keep more secrets.Explore
Young woman interacting with one of our digital literacy exhibition posters
Two Young women interacting with one of our exhibition digital literacy apps.
Exhibition artworks and interventions
[The Glass Room Poster] The Many Hands on Your Intimate Data. Lot's of mobile phone apps are designed to support women's sexual and reproductive health... but what else do they know about you? Explore
[Artwork] The Library of Missing Data Sets 2.0 by Mimi Onuoha. Mimi Onuoha’s ongoing research project identifies these “missing datasets” – categories of information that do not exist, but perhaps should. In these blank spots, sometimes we can find hints of what society or culture deems important or unimportant, revealing our hidden social biases and indifferences. Explore
[Artwork] Fertility Chip by La Loma and Tactical Tech. This piece explores how large tech companies and tech billionaires are investing in charitable enterprises, often guided by a belief that the world’s problems can best be solved by technology. Explore
[Artwork] Ovia. Women’s health apps like Ovia provide valuable personalized advice but also share aggregated user data with employers, insurers, and platforms like Facebook, raising concerns over privacy and misuse of sensitive information.Explore
Young woman interacting with one of our exhibition artworks
Two women interacting with one of our exhibition digital literacy artwoks.
Deep-dive articles and reports
[Data Detox Kit Article] Cycles of control: private companies and the surveillance of reproductive health. Data about reproduction, and especially menstruation, is being tracked and gathered by many different companies, without people’s awareness of the extent or the financial value this data has, nor the possible consequences for them individually or the collective harm.Explore
[Our Data, Ourselves article] Data and Dating: Who else wants your love? The data you give away when using dating apps might seem like a small price to pay for the possibility of meeting someone new . But are you aware of what’s happening in the background? The systems by which data is collected, analysed, sold, traded and reused might be more complicated than you think. Explore
[Interactive project] The Dating Brokers: an autopsy of online love by Joana Moll. This project attempts to cast light on well established practices in the global online dating ecosystem, which are crucial to its business model but mostly opaque to their users. Explore
Multimedia resources
Animation created with the support of SIDA. Research by The Bachchao Project. Poster design by Tactical Tech, animation by Klaas Diersman.
[The Glass Room video] Data and Dating. While registering to dating sites like Tinder you give them access to data like your location, contacts, likes/dislikes, and habits. But you also agree to answer questions so that they can find the 'perfect match' for you - in the case of Eharmony you have to answer 258 questions when signing up, such as 'In a certain light, would a nuclear war be exciting?' But how safe is this personal data and what is it used for? Explore
[Data Detox Kit videos] Partnership: The Fabulous Woman Network’s. a series of videos about young women who learn about the importance of protecting their information and about the problems with sharing data with others. Each video ends in a call to action for viewers to learn more through the Data Detox Kit. Explore
[Digital Enquirer Kit webinar] Digital security toolkit against gender-based online violence, part 1. This session offers an introduction to the concept of gender-based online violence, and explore five types of gendered attacks used to limit confidentiality, integrity and access to information by women and sexual and gendered minorities. Explore
[Digital Enquirer Kit webinar] Digital security toolkit against gender-based online violence, part 2: Following up on part 1, this session will explore five more gender-based online violence attacks faced by women and sexual and gender minorities. Explore
[Digital Enquirer Kit webinar] Digital Security Risk Assessments: This session will offer a step-by-step tutorial on how to produce a digital security risk assessment from a holistic perspective. Explore
Thumbnail of the video Fake website?, courtesy of The Fabulous Woman Network
Screenshot of the video Digital security toolkit against gender-based online violence.
