Dark Designs:

           How tech companies undermine consent.

September 6th, 2018

Outline:

• Introduction
• Rules n’ Such
• Current Events
• Cambridge Analytica
• Mini Workshops
  • Browser defense
  • What is a 'Meshnet'?
• Thank You/Resources

Who are we? Who are you?

• We are the…
  • The Cypurr Collective: A group of folks that organize cybersecurity workshops and socials, looking to spread knowledge and talk about privacy rights!
• ...and you are?
  • Name
  • Pronouns (i.e. he/him, she/her, they/them, etc)
  • In a few words, what brings you here today?

A few rules for this workshop …

• Share the space!

  • Ask a question, give a comment, leave room for others to speak

• Stack!  Raise your hand, we will queue speakers

• Saf(er) Space

  • We DO NOT tolerate language or behavior purposefully meant to demean or harm others

  • Don't pressure anyone to discuss their experience/threat model/situation

  • Consent: Ask before helping someone out, e.g. before taking their device

• Photo/Video- No photo/video without asking!

• Reporters/Researchers: Make yourself known

• Bonus Rule: Try not to invalidate experiences!

   

Current Events

Story #3: Google skipping out on Congress

• Meeting on foreign influence in the US via social media
• Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testified
• Larry page (CEO of Alphabet) and Sundar Pichai (CEO Google) didn't show
• (cnet 9/6/18)

Story #4: LinkNYC tracking NYers

• ReThink LinkNYC finds plans to track users in accidentally-public code.(The Intercept 9/8/18)
• Alphabet (google) owns Sidewalk Labs.
• Sidewalk labs are main investor in CityBridge

Break & Discussion

10 min break to stretch etc

Talk with neighbors:

What frustrates you about certain apps/websites?

(e.g. I really dislike "infinite scroll")

Dark Designs

(aka "A**hole designs")

What are dark designs?

Dark Patterns are tricks used in websites and apps that make you buy or sign up for things that you didn't mean to. " darkpatterns.org/

We say:

Any design choice which deliberately undermines user consent

Consent

Requires (at least):

• Full knowledge of outcomes/risk
• Lack of pressure
• Autonomy to decide yes/no prior to actions
• No repercussions for declining
• Ability to change choice at any time without repercussions

Apps/sites often:

• Operate in secrecy
• Pressure users to decide quickly (through inconveniences)
• Burden users to "opt-out"
• Withhold services unrelated to the permission
• Do not allow users to undo decisions

Dark Designs discussion

• What sort of companies resort to it?
• How to avoid
  • Ad-blocking
  • Open Source
  • Nesting (eg opening FB in firefox instead of the FB app)

Mini Workshops

1. Browser defense: selecting a browser and  extensions that protect you

2. Learning about Mesh networks

Thank You and Resources

• CyPurr Collective

  • https://www.cypurr.nyc

  • Facebook & Twitter

• Sign up to our email list too, we won’t spam ya!

• Further Resources

  • NYC CryptoParty Meetup/CryptoParty Harlem (Meetup)

  • HacbBlossom (Hackblossom.org)

  • Tactical Tech Collective-

  • Holistic Security, MyShadow, Data Detox

• EFF- Surveillance Self Defense (ssd.eff.org)

• Freedom of the Press Foundation (Freedom.press)

   

Upcoming

• Here again on October 20th for Privacy Week (metro.org)
• Open meeting here TOMORROW @ 7pm
• Two upcoming socials TBD, watch Faceboo/Twitter

Thank You!