Research presented at the 2017 Institute of Latin American Studies Student Association “The Struggle is the Air We Breathe”: Resilience, Resistance, and Empowerment in Latin America

1. Digital Keepers:
Ethics of Saving Online Data About Latin American Social Movements
Photo Attribute: Dr. Maximilian C. Forte
Presented by: Itza Carbajal
University of Texas at Austin School of Information

2. “As more researchers embark on
digital scholarship, there exist an
ever increasing need for the
development of digital sensibilities.

3. A
SMALL
DOSE OF
SURVEILLANC

4. A
LARGER
DOSE OF
SURVEILLANC

5. How often do researchers consider their role and
responsibility in ethically preserving online and
born digital content documenting various
movements based in Latin America?

6. How do researchers navigate the need for
knowledge, while also respecting privacy
and safety in hopes of subverting the
possibility of providing intel for
surveilling institutions

7. Ethical Dilemmas Considered
▪ How much information to provide when describing digital
data?
▪ What sort of review process should researchers undergo with
digital data?
▪ When depositing research data, what steps should researchers
take?

8. How does
Data exist?
Diagram provided by Spirion

9. How to better
understand
Data.
Diagram provided by Itza Carbajal

10. SOAD
Video of Soad Nicole Ham
Bustillos made its round on
social networks shortly after
her student group gathered
to protest the changes to the
educational system in
Honduras.
Image Attribute: La Tribuna

11. SOAD
Honduran news agencies
stated that her appearance
on social networks that
reached thousands of angry
Hondurans there and abroad
cost her life.
Image Attribute: La Prensa

12. Digital Freedoms
Of the 65 countries assessed
32 have been on a negative
trajectory since June 2014
“
MEXICO
- Criticism of Authorities (sporadic)
- Political Opposition
COLOMBIA
- Criticism of Authorities (sporadic)
- Conflict (sporadic)
ECUADOR
- Satire (sporadic)
- Social Commentary (sporadic) ARGENTINA
- Satire
- Social Commentary
BRAZIL
- Corruption (sporadic)
- Social Commentary (sporadic)
VENEZUELA
- Mobilization for Public Causes
- Social Commentary
- Political Opposition (sporadic)
- Corruption
- Conflict (sporadic)
- Criticism of Authorities
ECUADOR
- Mobilization for Public Causes - Satire (sporadic)
- Social Commentary - Political Opposition
- Corruption - Criticism of Authorities

13. Describe
Metadata is data about data. This can include a person’s
name, location, phone number, screen name, email,
network addresses, facial features, place of work,
school, or play to name a few.
Even if organizers and activists take necessary steps that
does not guarantee that personal information has not
attached itself to their digital footprint.
Photo Attribute: Anonymous Contributor Twitter

14. Review
Review can be frequently overlooked as it can appear as
though all cautionary practices come at the beginning of a
research endeavor.
Kritika Agarwal highlights in a recent article on the
American Historical Association, groups and individuals are
actively working towards developing standards and
practices that emphasize notions of consent and safety in
regards to creators and their digital footprints.
Photo Attribute: Tough Customer Youtube Video

15. Deposit/Archive
As the chain of custody becomes blurry,
even archivists that wish to protect
creators’ personal information face
obstacles from having to locate and
obtain consent to deciding what
information to provide on online
through digital archival portals.
Photo Attribute: Huffington Post

16. last thoughts on our current realities

17. “ The creators of digital data exist
beyond the device screen and their
safety should be of the utmost concern
especially for those wishing to
become an extension of the work
being done on the ground.

18. References
▪ Agarwal, Kritika. “Doing Right Online: Archivists Shape an Ethics for the Digital Age” American Historical Association. November
2016. https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/ november-2016/doing-right-online-archivists-
shape-an-ethics-for-the-digital-age.
▪ Anonymous. 'The riot is one night ... but metadata lasts forever' ~ Security culture basics for #j20 #disruptj20. January 20, 2017, 11:15
AM. https://twitter.com/YourAnonGlobal/status/822522890704785409.
▪ Contributor, Anonymous. "Smashed Windows, Social Media and State Surveillance." IT'S GOING DOWN. October 03, 2016. Accessed
February 20, 2017. https://itsgoingdown.org/smashed-windows-social-media-state-surveillance/.
▪ Harlow, Summer, and Dustin Harp. n.d. “COLLECTIVE ACTION ON THE WEB: A Cross-Cultural Study of Social Networking Sites
and Online and Offline Activism in the United States and Latin America.”
▪ Kelly, Sanja, Madeline Earp, Laura Reed, Adrian Shahbaz, and Mai Truong. 2015. “Freedom on the Net.” Washington DC and New York:
Freedom House. https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/FH_FOTN_2015Report.pdf.
▪ Marr, Bernard. 2015. “Big Data: 20 Mind-Boggling Facts Everyone Must Read” Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2015/09/30/big-data-20-mind-boggling-facts-everyone-must-read/#5b1111c217b1

19. Questions?
s