The Tactical Technology Collective, based in Berlin, has been working in the field of privacy and personal data since 2003, and combines activism, awareness-raising and projects that make complex topics more accessible to the general public.
For example, it has produced the Data Detox Kit, an eight-day guide that helps take people through different aspects of their digital life, and to gain more control over it. Its Trackography project is an interactive map that shows you where your internet browsing data is moving around the world, and which companies have access to it, when you access different websites. They also created Me and My Shadow, a website providing resources and how-to guides for navigating the data society on people’s own terms. The project asks people to play with their digital devices, look a little deeper into their settings, and to follow simple techniques that help them to protect their privacy
Tactical Tech create end products that are open source and built in a way that people can replicate and contribute to. As a small organisation it often works with a community of volunteers to create products, tools and art installations for the general public. The Glass Room, for instance, is a pop-up “tech store with a twist” that trains volunteers as “Ingeniuses” who then guide visitors through the darker aspects of their digital footprint.