Activists Want Better, Safer Technology

Abstract: This work surveys 50 Black Lives Matter activists in the United States about the role of technology in organizing protests and other actions. Broad questions about the overall ease and safety of existing technology allowed them to spontaneously offer features and concerns that were most important to them. While the overwhelming majority (84%) of activists reported using social media to find information, 64% had concerns about data privacy or surveillance on social media, and 40% had concerns about the credibility or reliability of information online. Community played a big role in activists' interactions with technology, with 72% reporting that personal networks helped them find information or feel safe attending protests in general. We hope this study will provide a framework for deeper analysis in areas that are important to activists, so technologists can focus on building solutions that fully serve activists' needs and interests.