Examining the Landscape of Digital Safety and Privacy Assistance for Black Communities

Abstract: Recent events have placed a renewed focus on the issue of racial justice in the United States and other countries. One dimension of this issue that has received considerable attention is the security and privacy threats and vulnerabilities faced by the communities of color. Our study focuses on community-level advocates who organize workshops, clinics, and other initiatives that inform Black communities about existing digital safety and privacy threats and ways to mitigate against them. Additionally, we aim to understand the online security and privacy needs and attitudes of participants who partake in these initiatives. We hope that by understanding how advocates work in different contexts and what teaching methods are effective, we can help other digital safety experts and activists become advocates within their communities.