In The Loop February 2025
13 minutes read | First published: February 28, 2025
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Navigating the convoluted Digital Environment: What Can Individuals, Communities, and Organizations Do?💡
🛠️ 1. Choose your tools wisely
Almost everything we do online depends on the 'big five' tech giants. With shifting political agendas, growing mistrust, and ever-more sophisticated surveillance, our digital world feels overwhelming. In his latest piece, Marek Tuszynski—Executive Director and co-founder of Tactical Tech, shares key insights on how civil society can choose its tools wisely. He highlights alternative tools that are open-source, trusted, user-friendly, multilingual, multi-platform, well-documented, and transparent about data practices. Read the full article and explore the recommended alternative tools.
List of the digital tools that recommended by Marek Tuszynski.
Quote from Marek Tuszynski
💻 2. Transform your digital reality with the Data Detox Bar
We often hear that we lack the power to reshape our digital reality —but nothing could be further from the truth! There are countless ways to improve your digital life. That’s why Tactical Tech created the Data Detox Bar—an engaging experience that explores technology, AI, data privacy, digital security, and online well-being. Featuring a customizable interactive mural and takeaway cards styled like detox cocktails, it offers practical and actionable tips. Whether you’re planning a large exhibition or need a solution for a smaller space, there’s a format to suit every setting. Find out more Contact us at partnership@tacticaltech.org to get a proposal.
Photo from the Data Detox Bar event.
⚡️ 3. Challenge the narratives with the “Everywhere All the Time” Exhibition
Challenging mainstream narratives about technology and AI is key to truly understanding our digital landscape. Tactical Tech's “Everywhere All the Time” exhibition creates spaces for reflection and discussion, inviting visitors to explore the hidden layers of technology and its impacts. Designed to engage young audiences, this versatile experience is perfect for exhibitions, conferences, libraries, schools, and community centers—and it’s available in multiple languages. Interested in hosting “Everywhere All the Time” exhibition? Reach out to partnership@tacticaltech.org to get a proposal for your space.
A visitor at the exhibition interacting with the engaging posters.
Digital Influence & Climate Crises 🌳
🌱 Time to be "down to earth" regarding tech’s role in climate action
Digital technologies shape how society discusses and responds to climate crises. A complex system of influence emerges as various actors use data-driven technologies to shape information flows, ultimately affecting opinions and climate action. How does this system work? How can people engage in and contribute to conversations about this global challenge that impacts daily life? Watch Tactical Tech’s co-founder, Stephanie Hankey, speak on this topic at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Loeb Fellowship Symposium. Watch the video
Poster for the talk Down to Earth by Tactical Tech’s co-founder, Stephanie Hankey
🌍 Working on breakthrough solutions at the Intersection of climate and digital technology
Tactical Tech’s co-founder, Stephanie Hankey, has been selected by the Rockefeller Foundation as one of the 2025 Bellagio Center residents. This program brings together leading academics, artists, and practitioners from around the world, providing them with a space to unlock creativity and advance groundbreaking solutions to some of the biggest challenges in their fields. Our co-founder will focus on an initiative exploring the intersection of climate and digital technology. Learn more about the program here
Tech, media, and investigative journalism 🔍
✔️ Tips for investigating big tech platform [in]transparency
Big Tech platforms have been making transparency promises for years and mostly breaking them. The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) was created to improve transparency in the digital sphere, but despite some progress in holding Big Tech accountable, significant gaps persist. Read the new guide [“What can the Digital Services Act do for you? Tips for navigating platform [in]transparency”](https://exposingtheinvisible.org/en/articles/what-can-the-digital-services-act-do-for-you/) by John Albert to see how journalists, researchers, digital rights activists, and citizens can use DSA transparency tools to hold platforms accountable.
Transparency tools under the DSA
Tech, media literacy and youth ✨
🤖 How can we empower youth to navigate the challenges and opportunities created by AI?
In this three-part article series, Tactical Tech's Safa Ghnaim and Helderyse Rendall were interviewed by journalists Seden Anlar and Maria Luís Fernandes for rekto:verso. Read the series, which explores the opportunities and threats of AI for youth and examines how policymakers—both nationally and internationally—can provide young people with the tools to engage with AI.
Media Literacy for all 💬
🏆 Tactical Tech's Glass Room: Misinformation Edition wins the Voices Award for Media Literacy
Our educational experience, The Glass Room: Misinformation Edition, which explores how misinformation works and spreads, has just won the Voices Award for Media Literacy in the category "Empowering Citizens’ Engagement and Participation." This recognition highlights The Glass Room for its outstanding contributions to media literacy and civic participation. The project has been translated into 30 languages, with over 120 partners in more than 55 countries, reaching around 115,000 people. Find out more about the awards ceremony, taking place on Friday, the 28th, at 16:00 in Zagreb.
💪 Take Control of your digital life with the Data Detox Kit—Now available in 43 languages!
Some say it’s too late to challenge Big Tech—but that’s not true! With simple, practical steps, you can regain control over your privacy, well-being, and tech use. The Data Detox Kit offers clear, actionable guidance to help you make informed choices and build healthier digital habits. Exciting news: The Data Detox Kit is now available in Frisian, thanks to the amazing work of Wim Benes! Explore the kit and find the tips that best fit your needs today.
EVENTS THAT EMPOWER YOU 💡
✔️ Shaping Tomorrow: Collective Efforts for the Future of European Journalism. March 12, 2025. Publix, Berlin.
Calling All Journalists in Berlin! Don't miss this conference organized by the European Press Prize and Publix, the house of journalism and public debate in Berlin. With a full program of interactive sessions, workshops, and constructive dialogue, the event will focus on shared challenges for journalists across Europe, as well as shifting markets and audiences. Tactical Tech's Laura Ranca, Amber Macintyre, and Ana Maria Salinas Bojacá will lead discussions on investigative and collaborative journalism practices in the session Journalism Circles: Speed Networking with Journalism Experts. Conference program here. Register here.
Invitation to the conference Shaping Tomorrow by Publix.
✔️ Voices-European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy 2025. February 27 -March 1, 2025. Zagreb, Croatia.
Voices brings together citizens, journalists, and media professionals to highlight the vital roles of journalism and informed public discourse while fostering critical thinking around disinformation. Over three days, the festival will feature talks, workshops, exhibitions, and networking opportunities. On February 28, Tactical Tech’s Executive Director, Marek Tuszynski, will join Divina Frau-Meigs, Prof. Aphra Kerr, Willy Lafran, and Sylvia Liuti in the session "Media Information Literacy Making Of: What Does It Take to Succeed Against All Odds?" The panel will explore innovative media literacy strategies to combat misinformation and empower communities. Find out more and register here -Last tickets available!
✔️ Book a workshop for young people on Quantum computing at LAS in Berlin!
Calling all educators and teachers in Berlin! Now you can book a unique workshop experience for your school, class, or youth organization that blends immersive contemporary art with cutting-edge technology. This engaging 90-minute experience is set in the context of Laure Prouvost’s latest exhibition at Kraftwerk, “WE FELT A STAR DYING.” In this dynamic workshop, students will participate in interactive activities and exercises while learning the basics of quantum computing. They will leave with a greater understanding of both the artwork and the technological concepts behind it, along with a take-home toolkit filled with practical activities to explore their own relationships with technology and the world around them. Workshops are available in German or English. More info here. Contact visit@las-art.foundation to reserve.
✔️ Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2025. May 20-21, 2025. Online
PDAF provides a space to exchange knowledge, build strategies, and foster solidarity among activists, organizations, and movements globally. Tactical Tech will contribute to these conversations, sharing insights on navigating the socio-political and environmental impacts of technology. More information
OUR CREATIVE EXHIBITIONS AROUND THE WORLD 🖼️
➡️ The Glass Room in the Fake News exhibition. El valor de la información. Until July 31, 2025. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Every day, we encounter news and misinformation that challenge us to distinguish truth from falsehood. While this issue has a long history, the Internet and media have amplified its impact. Tactical Tech's The Glass Room: Misinformation Edition is featured in the Fake News exhibition, showcasing artworks that explore various types of misinformation and ways to combat its spread. Find out more
➡️ The Glass Room at Weldon Library, Western University. Until April 1, 2025. London, Ontario.
What happens when people rely on social media for information? How do they know if a picture is truthful? What data is being collected about them—and why? These are questions explored in this exhibition organized by the Starling Centre, which has partnered with the Weldon Library at Western. Find out more
➡️ Supercharged by AI continues to be shown in libraries across Europe!
The “Supercharged by AI” exhibition is touring across Europe. This experience explores harms that have always existed online—scams, harassment, polarization, and bias—that are now being “supercharged” by AI.Check the dates and places, where you can visit “Supercharged by AI”. Interested in hosting this exhibition? Contact us at partnership@tacticaltech.org.
Watch this video showcasing the experience of the Spanish Library Paterna del Campo as it hosts the Supercharged by AI exhibition. Watch video
TACTICAL TECH: TRAINING AND ADVANCING THE SKILLS OF COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE 🧠
Tactical Tech's team led conversations, hosted workshops and sessions, and participated in various events to advance knowledge and build the capacities of individuals and communities to address technology-related challenges. Here’s a recap of last month’s events:
➡️ We kicked off 2025 by participating in the Visual Grammar of Designed Truth in OSINT symposium, held from January 22 to 24, hosted by the Institute Digital Communication Environment (IDCE) at the FHNW Academy of Art and Design (HGK). Tactical Tech's Laura Ranca joined this multidisciplinary event, which brought together researchers, journalists, designers, artists, and OSINT analysts to explore the visual strategies and communication practices used in open-source intelligence investigations. The symposium highlighted the evolving visual language of OSINT and examined how investigative groups and citizen collectives are reshaping the digital information landscape.
➡️ On February 20, 2025, the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism hosted a webinar on evidence gathering for journalists, researchers, and civil society actors. Tactical Tech's Laura Ranca provided valuable insights into techniques and tools for evidence collection and verification, strategies for assessing source reliability both online and offline, essential safety and risk mitigation practices, and best practices for secure data storage and sharing. Thank you to everyone who joined us!
OUR PARTNERS WORLDWIDE MAKING A DIFFERENCE 💫
🌟 Casa Criatura: Creating vibrant learning spaces for Brazilian youth on tech’s impacts
Casa Criatura, a cultural and educational space in Brazil, is dedicated to fostering critical media literacy and digital awareness among young people. Through a collaboration with Tactical Tech, they provided workshops and interactive activities that equipped youth with the tools to navigate digital spaces safely and creatively. By blending technology with artistic expression, Casa Criatura is helping young people build digital resilience and challenge misinformation in their communities. Read the full story here
Students explore digital privacy through interactive exhibits.
🌟 Caceroliando: Promoting creative storytelling for change among activists shaping Colombia's peacebuilding Process
Caceroliando, an independent media initiative rooted in Colombia’s countercultural movement, empowers activists and communities to document and share their stories through alternative media formats. In collaboration with Tactical Tech, they hosted a workshop at La Casa de La Paz in Bogotá, where 17 participants explored investigative storytelling and media tools to strengthen their narratives on human rights, gender, and peace. The project also resulted in a three-part video podcast series highlighting the role of community-driven documentation in Colombia’s reconciliation process. Read the full story here
Participants of the Caceroliando workshop in Bogotá engage in a creative storytelling exercise, writing on paper as they collaborate on narratives for peacebuilding and social justice.
🌟 Instituto Palavra Aberta: Innovative approaches to promote family conversation on how to reshape our relationship with technologies
Instituto Palavra Aberta projects focus on defending the full freedom of ideas, thoughts, and opinions. Their media literacy project, Educamídia launched their "For Families" initiative, where they contextualized the Data Detox Kit article on screen time and design patterns using beautifully informative cards. These resources help families discuss technology and its impact with their kids. Find out more and download the guide here
WHAT WE ARE READING 🔍
- [📰 ARTICLE] Suffering is Real. AI Consciousness is Not. Go to Tech Policy.
- [🎥 VIDEO] Large Language Models explained. Go to AEON.
- [📰 ARTICLE] Chatbots of the dead. Go to AEON.
- [📰 ARTICLE] Revealed: Google facilitated Russia and China’s censorship requests. Go to The Guardian.
- [🔍 REPORT] Multipolarization - Munich Security Report 2025. Go to Munich Security Conference.
- [📰 ARTICLE] The Loneliness Epidemic Is a Security Crisis. Go to Wired.
- [💡 JOURNAL ARTICLE] Affective Representation: Social Media's Implications for Political Representation. By Tobias Lappy. Go to Wiley Open Library.
- [📰 ARTICLE] YouTube was born from a failed dating site – 20 years on, the world’s biggest video platform faces new challenges. Go to The Conversation.
- [💬 COMMENTARY] There Is No AI Revolution Go to Where’s Your Ed At?.
- [📰 ARTICLE] As Facebook Abandons Fact-Checking, It’s Also Offering Bonuses for Viral Content. Go to ProPublica.
- [💬 COMMENTARY] Countering Digital Colonialism. Go to Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona.
- [📊 DATABASE] Atlas of Surveillance. Go to the website.
- [📚 BOOK] Gaming Democracy - How Silicon Valley Leveled Up the Far Right by Adrienne L. Massanari. Go to MIT Press.
- [📰 ARTICLE] Reverse Surveillance: Recalibrating the Panopticon through Government Watch by Domestic Data Streamers. Go to Medium
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