Ho Ho Ho Like The SlurApr 13, 2025

We don't talk anywhere near enough about how the tech industry is fucking with the general public's understanding of consent.

Fairly often I will opt out of something that would have been obviously reasonable a few years ago, and people will look at me like I drove a truck through the room.

Things like:
- I won't be appearing on camera today
- I don't wish to speak on a recording to be published on the University website
- I won't be giving my personal details to an overseas third party just to use a notepad tool in one meeting

I see this seeping through into attitudes about consent in other everyday life contexts. People are so used to being walked all over by their tech that they're increasingly shocked by boundaries.

Show threadHo Ho Ho Like The SlurApr 13, 2025

I reckon this is intentional. By placing massive friction around exercising consent, you make any worker who understands consent seem like a source of friction in the workplace.

It takes a worker who understands consent 10x as long to do anything in tech compared with a worker who simply taps [ALLOW] every time.

This effectively purges workplaces of any workers who assert their own right to privacy, have any boundaries or are generally in the habit of standing up for themselves.

Show threadJessamynApr 14, 2025
@coolandnormal I talk about this sometimes in talks I give about the digital divide. If your only options for buttons to get to the next step of any software interaction are "Yes" or "Maybe later" you're dealing with a creep and giving people only those options is a way of eroding the idea of consent (a little lateral to the point you were making, but I think complementary)
Show threadEO
@jessamyn @coolandnormal #hostileDesign or #hostileUx
But honestly, how many years ago? Yes the enshittification has gotten worse, but I've *never* experienced support for my choice to consent.
Apr 14, 2025 at 10:18amWeb
Show threadHo Ho Ho Like The SlurApr 14, 2025

@eo @jessamyn I reckon about ten years ago it was considered fairly normal for the general public to refuse to be on camera.

Having said that, I've long been in industries where consent has been front and centre in the discourse constantly, so I will definitely be biased.

Show threadAriel KroonApr 14, 2025
@coolandnormal @eo @jessamyn I move in a lot of environmentalist spaces and find that about half the time that mildly stating that using video actually produces more pollution can be effective. I too hate this "obligation"