Date added: July 26, 2016

How do marginalised communities use tech for transparency and accountability (T4T&A) work?

This research report, by the Tactical Technology Collective (Tactical Tech), presents reflections and learnings from two studies of about how marginalised communities – lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) people in Nairobi, and economically marginalised housing and urban development rights activists in Johannesburg – use technology to demand their rights and hold their governments accountable.

The report looks at the limitations, risks and barriers that marginalised communities face. The key findings were that:

• marginalised users have different needs for privacy and security online, and T4T&A activities need to integrate these concerns
• collaborations across and within technology and activist movements and communities must recognise their different histories of engagement with politics, technology and the state
• without the full enjoyment of human rights, marginalised people’s participation in T4T&A activities is bound to be limited.

There is a summary of findings and reflections available here.