“Fabricated is designed to give visitors insight into how digital technologies are affecting our society. Our goal is to make complex topics such as AI and misinformation understandable and tangible. With interactive games and experiences, the exhibition bridges the gap between abstract digital concepts and everyday reality. I hope that visitors to the exhibition will feel more confident and better equipped to participate in democracy,” said Susannah Montgomery, researcher at the Media, Technology & Society Research Group at ARC research center.

From the Netherlands to the United States
After touring the Netherlands and other European countries from May to July, fabricated was on view in September as the first exhibition in the Expo space during the opening of Inholland's new building on Pina Bauschplein in Amsterdam. After that, the exhibition was on view at prominent events such as the Society 5.0 Festival (Oct. 9-10) and DigiQuest (Nov. 21-22). In the meantime, fabricated took a three-week trip across the United States ahead of the presidential election. There it made stops such as The LOVE Building in Detroit (Oct. 21-24), The Ohio State University's Translational Data Analytics Institute (Oct. 29 to Nov. 5) and The STEAM Factory in Columbus (Nov. 8).

The exhibition also received rave reviews in the US: “From the moment I ‘met’ Alex, the AI news reader, I was sold. In our polarized society, we need more bridges like fabricated to help people better understand each other and their digital world,” said an American visitor.

Fabricated returns to Inholland Amsterdam
In the coming months, the research team will publish articles and reports on how residents of the United States and Europe understand important digital issues, such as misinformation, AI and content moderation. These insights, based on interviews and surveys conducted during the tour, provide a better picture of how societies deal with digital challenges.

Part of the exhibition will return to Inholland's Expo space in January as part of an exhibition on Digital Rights. With this, fabricated continues to contribute to the conversation about the role of technology in our society for the time being.

Listen to the interview with Susannah and Andy on Instagram during the exhibition of fabricated at The LOVE Building in Detroit.

Andy Sanchez, researcher at the Media, Technology & Society research group and the Sustainable Media Lab, has been awarded the SIDN Pioneer grant. He receives this €10,000 grant for the project 'Fabricated: Anti-Misinformation Games for the 2024 European Parliamentary Elections'. With this project, Sanchez aims to prepare European residents for the elections, teaching them how to recognise fake news and misinformation through interactive games. Follow updates about this project on their Instagram.

Digital Literacy
The Sustainable Media Lab explores the role of technology in society. With elections in the EU, US, India, and elsewhere, more people will vote in 2024 than any other year in human history. Concurrently, these voters are encountering political information online, in an environment increasingly driven by algorithms. Almost half of European residents lack basic digital skills. They may not be able to distinguish fake news from facts. This explains the urgent need for digital literacy and electoral resilience, so that users can make informed choices.

According to figures from the Sociaal Cultureel Planbureau, almost half of Dutch residents are concerned about misinformation online. In addition, deepfakes of Frans Timmermans, among other politicians, appeared in 2023 a day before the elections.Fabricated is an exhibition of games and will give residents a deeper understanding of their digital environment. It also helps them to critically engage with political (mis)information they encounter in the future.

Exhibition
This exhibition prepares voters for the elections and promotes digital literacy. You can visit the exhibition at the following locations:

• 5 May and 13-17 May: The Hague (Liberation Festival and city hall atrium)
• 20-24 May: Brussels (libraries and CPDP conference)
• 27-29 May: Berlin (re:publica 24 festival)
• 2-6 June: Amsterdam (libraries)

The Hague, August 30, 2023 – The Sustainable Media Lab at Inholland University is bringing attention to the crucial topic of digital rights right in the heart of The Hague. The Digital Rights Expo, led by three student project groups, sheds light on the importance of safeguarding citizens' digital rights, particularly within The Hague's Morgenstond neighborhood.

Last semester, students dug into the impact of digital rights on the lives of Morgenstond residents through conversations and engagement. Building on these insights, the three student groups have created prototypes that each showcase a different aspect of digital rights. In collaboration with Digital Rights House, this initiative aims to increase awareness and open discussions about this important issue.

Event Details

Date: September 11th - 22nd
Location: The Hague City Hall, Atrium Spui
Admission: Free

For more details, read the full article about the Digital Rights Expo in The Hague city newspaper at Newspaper Link. If you can't make it to the exhibition in person, you can explore the digital version of the exhibition here: Digital Exhibition Link.

Susannah Montgomery, Deputy Director of the Sustainable Media Lab, explains the students' approach: "Our students come from different creative backgrounds within our institution. We challenged them to use their creativity to find playful, participatory, and portable ways to get every day citizens thinking about what a responsible digital society means. Their exhibits, from funny comics to touching true stories, thoughtfully explore how technology in our digital age affects the quality of peoples’ lives."

The Digital Rights Expo demonstrates the power of innovation and teamwork in sparking conversations about the significant impact of digital rights on our lives today. Ready to join the conversation? Stop by for an informal Q&A about the exhibition, featuring current and past students along with our partners at The Hague City Hall on Monday, September 18th, from 15:30 to 16:30.

This project is part of the larger Inholland Digital Rights Research initiative, co-founded by Professors Wina Smeenk, Ander de Keijzer, and Ben Wagner. To learn more about their research, visit Research Link.

On Monday, 15 May, about 150 people attended a lecture given by Ben Wagner, new professor Media, Technology & Society, in Amsterdam’s Pakhuis de Zwijger. Irrespective of what was going on outside, those inside were treated to a 90-minute disconnect from the ominous digital world sketched by Ben and fellow panel members. In a digital sense, our human rights are being abused, they argued. And this is exposing us to risks, both individually and for society as a whole. Fortunately, the lecture ended on a positive note of optimism and resistance. “Sign up with a community that advocates a future based on digital human rights.”

Nederlands? Lees hier verder.

The floor of Pakhuis de Zwijger is patterned with undulating grids that give the illusion that it moves beneath your feet as you walk across it. It is an illusion that Ben exploits in his short introductory film. "We live in a hybrid world in which we think the ground under our feet is stable. But the illusion here covers up the fact that our digital human rights are being continuously violated."

Tramping on our digital human rights 
In his address, Ben leaves no doubt that the violation of digital human rights extends much further than mere discussions about privacy. "We’re talking about infrastructure and architecture, things that transcend the individual level and that we are therefore unable to avoid. Take democratic elections, for example. We all know about the attempted theft of information in the Watergate scandal. But stealing information online for political gain is a lot more commonplace than you might think, even in what we consider democratic Europe."

Knowledge, legality and power 
He goes on to explain that we live in a surveillance society that is not going to change anytime soon. What can change, however, is how we deal with it. Should we accept that we are just pawns in this digital world? Or would we rather understand how the digital infrastructures work so that we can take control and deal with it all more consciously? “Three elements are important here,” he assures. “Firstly, we need an in-depth knowledge of how the digital ecosystem works. Secondly, there’s the legality, what exactly is allowed? And thirdly, there’s power; without power nothing will change.”

Be a part of the community
“It's not about me, it's about what I do for the community,” concludes Ben. “Without that community I can't do my job. So be inspired and get involved. There’s nothing stopping you. Be a part of the community that underscores a future that’s based on digital human rights.” 

Decolonisation of cultural heritage
The ensuing panel discussion, about realising digital human rights, is led by journalist, podcaster and author, Tracy Metz. Adriana Muñoz, curator of the National Museums of World Culture (Varldskulturmuseerna), says that, like Ben, she recognises an interesting challenge in the simultaneous digitalisation and decolonisation of cultural heritage and archives. “With most artifacts still being in the hands of western museums, we take it upon ourselves to decide who has access to other people's treasures. But we must learn to share.” Picking up the thread, Ben says that Adriana's project focusing on the development process of projects is of particular interest. "It brings to the surface the stories and voices of more people than just the owners."

Need for total transparency
Sophie in 't Veld, a European parliamentarian in the D66 Dutch political party, also makes her presence known during the discussion. She advocates that an unequivocal right to information and total transparency in the digital world should be basic conditions. "We should no longer make it the responsibility of the individual citizen; it is the system itself that needs fixing. If we are to restore democracy, we will need a counter balance to the power that is currently wielded by tech companies and governments. The rule of law has become the law of the ruler."

Sustainable living environment and a resilient society 
Following the panel discussion, Marije Deutekom, a member of in Holland’s Executive Board, officially installs Ben as new professor. “Your research group,” she tells him, “is a perfect fit with the spearheads of our university of applied sciences. We advocate working from the perspective of social issues. Educating our students to become critical, responsive professionals who don't hesitate to stand up for their digital rights while working on a sustainable living environment and a resilient society.”

Sustainable Media Lab students
Didi Baas, a third-year Creative Business student is also someone who supports digital rights. “Last semester I followed a lab track themed on peace and justice. At the time our Sustainable Media Lab team focused on making primary school pupils in groups 7 and 8 media literate. Now I am doing an internship at the Digital Rights House Amsterdam, which is a partner of the Lab. I have a coaching role with new groups of students from the Lab who are carrying out projects on digital human rights, which include the digital rights of minors, hate speech and sexism. It’s gratifying to see more and more students becoming aware of their digital rights. This really should become a movement.”

Work to be done
Jake Blok is a board member of Digital Rights House Amsterdam and welcomes Ben’s installation as new professor. “This research group is not a destination; it’s a stop along the journey. Digital rights is work in progress, with a lot of work still to be done. I am very curious how a large institution like Inholland University of Applied Sciences will grasp opportunities with this research group, the Digital Rights Research Team and a broad array of students from different backgrounds and nationalities. This is all about applied research, so I hope that Inholland also develops practical initiatives on digital rights and itself grows into a digital-rights-proof university of applied sciences.”
 

"Digital rights are also human rights. Yet they are constantly being violated. It is time to ensure our digital human rights." During his inaugural lecture on Monday, May 15, in Amsterdam, Ben Wagner, Professor of Media, Technology & Society at Inholland University of Applied Sciences, will address challenging issues surrounding digital human rights. In doing so, he invites a special panel to clarify what digital rights are about, showing how many different areas are touched by digital rights and how big the effects can be. 

Ben Wagner's inaugural lecture (English spoken) has been recorded. Watch the recording on the page of Media, Technology & Society.

As digital infrastructures become increasingly complex, Ben Wagner says it is imperative that we focus on more sustainable models that embed digital rights at the core of digital infrastructures. In his inaugural lecture, Ben outlines the problem and then addresses these three core areas: 

• the digital infrastructure of museums and cultural heritage;
• challenges of online platforms for democracy and elections; 
• the infrastructure of societies in which people are constantly being watched, so-called surveillance societies. 

He proposes paths beyond fixing broken systems. Instead, these paths run toward systemic change for digital infrastructures. Building more sustainable media ecosystems, he says, is a tremendous opportunity that can unlock enormous social and economic power. "At the same time, it provides hope that one day we can stand on firm ground again, without the risk of it sinking beneath us." 

Broad view of the impact of digital rights with specialized panel 
"Usually when we talk to each other about digital rights, it's about a very narrow set of issues: is my phone safe? How do I adjust my settings to improve my privacy? Or: why are my posts deleted from Facebook?" explained Ben, who wants his lecture to talk about the impact of the topic much more broadly. Hence, he has also invited two specialists to discuss his issues in interaction with the audience: European Parliament member Sophie in ’t Veld (D66) and Adriana Muñoz, curator at The National Museums of World Culture in Sweden. Their conversation will be moderated by journalist, podcaster and author Tracy Metz. 

"Because we live in hybrid digital and physical spaces, Adriana and Sophie's work is really not about technology at all, but about democracy, history and justice," Ben explains the choice of these guests. "Regarding the perspective of digital rights, they can provide valuable insights that go beyond oversimplifications that center on phone security or Facebook use." 

More information about the specialists:

About Sophie in 't Veld 
Sophie in ’t Veld sits on behalf of D66 in the European Parliament. In these times of 'digital democracy' and political opposition in Europe, she is working hard to safeguard privacy between the tech giants and nosy governments. On Sophie's initiative, privacy violations are regularly challenged. Both in the European Parliament, and at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. She is also PEGA rapporteur (PEGA: The European Parliament's Committee of Inquiry into the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware). 

About Adriana Muñoz 
Focusing on the digital infrastructure of museums and cultural heritage, Adriana Muñoz joins us. She is a curator at the National Museums of World Culture (Varldskulturmuseerna) and works, among other things, on the project "Digital Repatriation of Cultural Heritage in the Global South. The research project focuses on the decolonization of a Swedish database for museum collections.  

About Tracy Metz 
Journalist, podcast maker and author Tracy Metz is a moderator. She writes for NRC Handelsblad and De Architect and makes the podcast 'Wetness. Uplifting stories about our water'. She is also director of the John Adams Institute, the independent center for American culture in the Netherlands. Her contribution to the public debate on city and landscape was awarded the Grand Maaskant Prize. 

Websites placing cookies on your computer to track your browsing behaviour. TikTok storing your personal data in China. Are you aware of what products, services, and organisations do with your personal data? It is often not obvious. Perhaps it’s possible to design a 'label' that shows you at a glance how companies respects your digital rights. Researchers from the Digital Rights Research Team, along with students from various programmes at Inholland University of Applied Sciences and MBO Media College took part in a co-design session exploring the idea of a digital rights label, and some of the wider issues of digital rights.  "What I realise now, is that if an online service is free, then I am the product" says one participant. “And that has implications for my rights as a consumer, and as a citizen”.

Read more about the co-design session and digital rights in this publication.

The tables are full of coloured Post-it™ notes, Lego™ models, Styrofoam™ balls and the room is strewn with yellow crime scene barrier tape. Students following creative-or technical-studies mix with professors, researchers, and field partners such as the design collective, Idiotes. Drawing on their own backgrounds, knowledge, and experiences, the participants visualise and analyse how governments, organisations, and citizens relate to digital rights. Importantly, they discuss what needs to happen to make those rights more recognisable and tangible.

Pictures taken by Iuliia Naumenko and Wina Smeenk.

Important labels  

Think about the colourful labels that reveal how energy-efficient a building is or how healthy certain foods are. How your digital rights are respected is not (yet) so transparent. Wina Smeenk is a Professor of Societal Impact Design, a founder of the Inholland Digital Rights Research Team (DRRT), and a board member of the Digital Rights House Amsterdam. She is also the person leading this project. “We want to learn how students and young people stand on this issue, and how far along they are in their digital awareness process” says Smeenk. “We will take the outcomes from today’s session, and the Digital Rights Research Team and the Digital Rights House will use them to further investigate the possibilities for a label."   

Working with multiple disciplines  

Didi Baas, a third-year student in Creative Business, is building a 'planetary system' of digital rights together with a Media College student and an Information Technology student. "A student who is doing an ICT course thinks very differently to me – based on their expertise – than a student who is doing a creative course” says Baas. “It clashes and causes friction sometimes, but you learn a lot from one another. You explore together; and ask questions such as 'what happens if we do this?' That produces great results. “I am surprised that there is so little legislation and regulation around digital rights” Baas continues. “It’s kind of a Wild West even though it’s related to human rights. That's why working on guidelines is so important." 

Awareness is the first step
Ander de Keijzer, Professor of Data Driven Smart Society and co-founder of the DRRT, engages in lively discussion and is filling coloured Post-it™ notes with his thoughts on digital rights. De Keijzer sees awareness among students as one of the first steps towards protecting their digital rights. "To your phone, to Google home – to all your digital devices actually – you are constantly giving away information about yourself. At the very least, you need to be aware of the digital trail you’re blazing and what the consequences are of that" says Keijzer. 

Sharing knowledge with one another  
The busy conversations, sketches, and model constructions have generated plenty of ideas among the students present about the protection of digital rights. Jim Bezuijen, a third-year Media Designer at Mediacollege Amsterdam acts out a situation relating digital cookie legislation using Lego™. "I know quite a lot about the digital trail I leave behind and am pretty aware of what my rights are” says Jim. “But it's nice to be able to talk about this with others. Then you can share knowledge with one another, and you are even more aware." 

Presentation of concepts  
The students present their concepts at the end of the morning. Their ideas include an AI bot that goes through all the terms and conditions of apps and websites and indicates via a traffic light system whether the app appropriates a lot or little data from you. Another team assigns a big role to the government to create guidelines around digital rights. Ben Wagner is co-founder of the DRRT and Professor of Media, Technology & Society. Wagner points out that we should not overestimate the power of government to protect us. "Given that even governments struggle to regulate large technology companies, how can we ensure strong protection of digital rights that protect the most vulnerable in society?" Asks Wagner.  

Digital rights in the Sustainable Media Lab  

In addition to the label research project, from February 2023, students at the Inholland Sustainable Media Lab will start working on the topic of digital rights. Protecting the digital rights of the vulnerable is one of the issues that they will take forward and consider. Project leader and researcher Susannah Montgomery is gaining a lot of inspiration for the upcoming semester from the collaboration day.  “Today's outcomes are a great starting point for the new students. We are building on these discussions and will also be using the results of this co-design process” says Montgomery. “We have learned that by working creatively and combining many different insights, it points us in the direction of more ideas.” 

Are you a student and would you like to collaborate with students from other courses? Then check out the Platform Inholland-wide electives!

With effect from 1 September, Ben Wagner will be professor of a new research focus area at Inholland University of Applied Sciences: Media, Technology and Society. He has also started a new role as the manager of the Sustainable Media Lab. Ben has spent years researching how technology and especially digital media influence our daily lives. ‘What does it mean if you become dependent on a few big tech companies? I want to open the eyes of students so that they can make conscious choices and work on more sustainable alternatives.’

As early as 2011, the American internet entrepreneur Marc Andreessen wrote in his essay ‘Why software is eating the world’, about the extent to which software companies help to define the economy. ‘Software and hardware now form part of everything we do’, says Ben. ‘The way we work, consume and interact with each other. We are at a time of great technological change and our experiences are changing as a result.’

Impact of digital media
The extent to which technology and digital media are interwoven with our daily lives raises questions. ‘What about the power of the big tech companies that determine the success of companies, simply by allowing or not allowing apps on their platforms? Or look at the elections for the Lower House, for example. How does advertising on digital media by political parties work? Who is involved, and how much does it cost? It’s easier to provide accountability for printed media, but this is more opaque in the case of digital media.’

International research
Ben has carried out research in various places in – and especially outside – the Netherlands into the impact of digital media and technology on society and how they can contribute to our human rights in a sustainable manner. Born in Austria, among other things Ben has set up the Center for Internet & Human Rights at the European University Viadrina, led the Sustainable Computing Lab at Vienna University of Economics and Business and was a member of the advisory body of ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity.

Opening people’s eyes
‘My aim is to open people's eyes. What is the significance of digital media and technology in our daily reality? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against it. Today's platforms provide wonderful new opportunities and possibilities. However, the question is whether they are socially and economically sustainable. Some platforms lead to undesirable working conditions or keep making a loss. Could we put together something better and more sustainable?’

Sustainable business models
According to Ben, examples of sustainable alternatives already exist, including in the Netherlands. ‘Take Fairphone, for example, a company that thinks consciously about the smartphone and has a business model with a positive impact on the working and living environment. I also want to open the eyes of students at Inholland. Rather than just using the standard tools, I want them to first have a keen understanding of their significance and then make well-informed choices.’

Sustainable Media Lab
For the students, the professionals of tomorrow, Media, Technology and Society goes even further. ‘As a community of researchers, we have been involved in research and debate for years. It is the task of the new generation to get to work and to achieve change. The demand for sustainable media is growing. We are moving towards a future with smaller, more diverse media companies and more specialised tools. A fantastic challenge that students can work on today. Through the Sustainable Media Lab, I want to give them the scope to shape this future, together with other researchers, experts and partners from the professional field.’

Students can identify opportunities for change
Ben is looking forward to the collaboration with students. ‘Where possible, I try to involve them in my research. Whether it's about policy rules for platforms, technological development or setting up business plans, my experience is that students bring something special: their enormous energy. They are not entangled in the slow process of research and discussion. They may immediately identify new opportunities and therefore be able to bring about powerful change.’