Immigration detention of people in every single case. Deportation of 7000 students accused of cheating on a test. Invasive drone surveillance instead of maritime rescue. What do these examples have in common? In every case, technological experimentation had serious consequences for people’s lives. Mozilla fellow Petra Molnar will discuss her new report, Technological Testing Grounds, illuminated by photography by Kenya-Jade Pinto, based on conversations with refugees and people crossing borders. Our report highlights how states are experimenting with high-risk, violent use of technology exacerbating systemic racism and surveillance of marginalized groups. Whose priorities matter when discussing innovation? What does critical representation look like – including the imagery used? Is there space for abolitionist conversations when discussing technology at the border?
We are happy with however many people are interested and able to come to our session. A smaller group of participants will be very useful for workshopping ideas and actively involving our audience members in the discussion. A larger audience will allow for a diversity of perspectives to come through the discussion and we will create a safe space in which to discuss ideas from a variety of view points. We also hope to draw on the inherent interdisciplinary nature of MozFest, as our collective includes journalists, civil society, photographers, filmmakers, academics and a few reluctant lawyers.
We're hoping that many efforts and discussions will continue after Mozfest. Share any ideas you already have for how to continue the work from your session.:This talk will present our new report, Technological Testing Grounds, which is part of a larger project that we have just launched, the Migration and Technology Monitor. Our aim is to create a hub that observes and investigates the use of surveillance technologies, automation, and the use of Artificial Intelligence to screen, track, and make decisions about people crossing borders, highlighting the far reaching impacts on people’s rights and lives. We hope to engage participants with the work of the Monitor and strategize how we can collectively work to foreground the experiences of people who are crossing borders in these conversations, push for the abolition of violent technologies, and learn from each other in creative ways.
Petra Molnar is a lawyer specialising in migration and technology at the Refugee Law Lab. Kenya-Jade Pinto is an Indo-Kenyan-Canadian documentary photographer, filmmaker, and lawyer.
Kenya-Jade Pinto is an Indo-Kenyan-Canadian documentary photographer, filmmaker, and lawyer. Her hyphenated worldview informs her work, focusing on projects navigating displacement, belonging, and access to justice.