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Our roundtable on future of digital disability with @sfdirewolf and Sandy Ho was aggressively zoombombed. It wasn't pranking or mere inconvenience. It was nothing short of violence. Here are some things I learned as the organizer (CN: discussion of anti-black hate speech):
2/ I implemented recommended deterrence measures (details below) but was in no way prepared for the violence of this tactic. Specifically, an onslaught of voices (perhaps recorded) of (white) men ceaselessly repeating the N-word.
3/ There was also a pornographic profile pic, and loud electronic music. There were multiple accounts involved and it was extremely chaotic. Hard to identify who was doing it and how they kept regaining access.
4/ We were prepared(ish) to shut it down and continue the event, but because I was unprepared for this violence, I was unprepared to appropriately support participants who were exposed to this violence and failed to do so in the moment, which I deeply regret.
5/ I am continuing to reach out to people after the fact to offer support. I also think publicly acknowledging this as an act of violence is part of that support, hence this thread. So here are some tips:
6/ Consider not using Zoom: Seriously. There are alternative platforms that are not (yet) the target of these attacks. Also, consider not sharing your alternatives and strategies publicly (but do share them privately!) lest they become the new target.
7/ Be prepared to support participants: You can't know in advance what the content of an attack will be and who will be most harmed, but plan for how to support folks if they are exposed to this kind of violence.
8/ Acknowledge violence in the moment: A first step toward offering support is acknowledging what just happened. Name the violence, the racism, the misogyny, etc. and consider adjusting your event to create space to debrief for those who need/want it.
9/ If you do decide to use Zoom, there are lots of articles with Zoom security tips (h/t to @sfdirewolf for this link). https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/03/20/keep-uninvited-guests-out-of-your-zoom-event/
Below are some additional details based on what happened yesterday:
Below are some additional details based on what happened yesterday:
10/ Have a password: We did not have a password. This was a mistake. Check out @autistichoya's registration form for their upcoming event on disability justice and decolonialism as an example of how to balance public accessibility and security. https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9oyAjNE9LKl0KJLYc7L9FG_kELIUlcJehSdfl4NtAi7tsQA/alreadyresponded?usp=sf_link&fbclid=IwAR0SzSeshlekh4hkRfu2hdZwjCTZWPBF7FsxrLg0gq4_5z36uDkFvdsKzjg
11/ Have a team of co-hosts: You can distribute the work of minimizing disruption. Co-hosts can remove ppl, but note that some functions are restricted to hosts, like initiating live streaming or assigning a closed captioner. We also handed off the host role as necessary.
12/ Have a waiting room + bouncer/s: The bouncers must be co-hosts. They do their best to admit only genuine participants and remove harassers. Be aware that it can be difficult to discern which participants are doing the bombing. Huge thanks to @RiceA11y for bouncing for us.
13/ Be prepared to lock the meeting: A co-host can lock the meeting if bad actors keep getting in.
14/ Have a backup plan: If you are livestreaming (FB and YouTube livestreaming are integrated into Zoom) people can at least watch if you have to lock out participants. If you record, you can share the event after the fact. Or you can cancel and reschedule.
15/ Finally, recognize that having a public event on Zoom means creating a space within which people--most likely people of color--may be exposed to targeted violence.
16/ Just as we need to reckon with the extractive nature of tech platforms like Twitter which we use for work we are committed to, we need to assimilate this fact of possible harm on Zoom into the way we asses risks and enact care as we continue our work in this moment.
