I have no idea whether I'm in time to submit a workshop for this year, but here we go!
Since the furry fandom has historically been an internet-based community with a strong emphasis on anonimity through the use of pseudonyms, in the face of emerging threats to online privacy in the form of mass surveillance by government agencies and corporations I would like to propose a workshop on the issue of online privacy and the security of communications, centering on you, average person attending the con. How can you be sure your online activity is private? Why should you care? Who can find out about your steaming pile'o porn? How can you make things better? This workshop is guaranteed 100% free of conspiracy theories (no tinfoil hats allowed), and will follow a typical academic format (presentations, then Q&A with the audience). I am still working on confirming the other 2 panelists.
You will find the draft programme below:
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WORKSHOP "ONLINE PRIVACY IN THE AGE OF MASS SURVEILLANCE"
Description: How can you keep your private life private on the Internet? This workshop addresses the technical, legal and democratic challenges of protecting online privacy in an era of rapid technological growth and increased surveillance capabilities. We will look at the state of online and offline privacy in both the European Union and the United States, present the current challenges to privacy, and discuss individual and collective solutions to be implemented.
No technical skills or knowledge are required: you are welcome to attend whether you are an IT or security professional, a social media user or a concerned citizen.
Programme:
- Welcome and introduction
- Topic 1: Technical aspects, cryptography and data mining
- Topic 2: Privacy and fundamental rights
• EU/US legal contexts
• The extent of mass surveillance
• Legislating mass surveillance
- Topic 3: Activism and solutions
- Questions & Answers