May 2025 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

ANU Sociology Seminar Series: "Building information resilience through accessible communication practice: The case of migrants and people with disability in Australia", Dr Ashleigh Haw (UC)
by Thao Phan 05 May '25

05 May '25

Hi all, please join us for the next event in the ANU School of Sociology Seminar Series: *Building information resilience through accessible communication practice: The case of migrants and people with disability in Australia* *https://sociology.cass.anu.edu.au/events/building-information-resilience-through-accessible-communication-practice-case-migrants <https://sociology.cass.anu.edu.au/events/building-information-resilience-th…>* Speaker: Dr Ashleigh Haw, University of Canberra Date: Monday 12 May, 2025 Time: 12-1pm AEST Location: Room 4.69 RSSS Building Join Zoom Meeting https://anu.zoom.us/j/85293466550?pwd=aHRXMVFZMUM4T1o2U0pNYWhkWjFJZz09 Meeting ID: 852 9346 6550 Password: 0000 -- *Building information resilience through accessible communication practice: The case of migrants and people with disability in Australia* During any crisis event, trustworthy communication is crucial for fostering safe and informed societies. During the Covid-19 pandemic, however, considerable disparities in access to reliable information (including vital health advice and resources) were observed; especially for migrants and people with disability. These communities are, consequently, more vulnerable to the negative impacts of ‘information disorders’, which encompass both unintentional misinformation and intentional disinformation (mis/disinformation), however, their experiences and needs remain underexamined in research and policy efforts to address the pervasive problem of information disorders. In this presentation, Ashleigh will discuss the findings and implications arising from interview and focus group discussions with 16 Melbourne-based service providers, advocates, and community leaders; many of whom have lived experience with migration and/or disability. A reflexive approach to Interpretive Thematic Analysis – drawing on Structural Racism theory and a Crip Studies approach to disability justice – revealed that a lack of access to reliable and trustworthy information about the crisis – including local and national policies, health advice/guidelines, and avenues for support – routinely led migrant communities and people with disability to engage with harmful mis/disinformation about the threat of the virus, the efficacy of vaccines, and potential medical interventions. In presenting these findings, she will draw on existing literature and theory surrounding evident connections between accessible communication practice and information resilience in diverse societies. She will also present recommendations for research, policy, and practice seeking to mitigate the social, economic, political, and health inequities that arise from (and help to facilitate) information disorders in times of crisis. *Ashleigh Haw* is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Communication and Media at the University of Canberra. Her work focuses on understanding and advancing social inclusion in mediated communication, with a special interest in illuminating how marginalised communities engage with (and are impacted by) news and digital media representation of their needs and experiences. Ashleigh’s most recent research used Covid-19 as a case study to examine the social and health implications of mediated exclusion and mis/disinformation for migrants and people with disability during global crisis events, emphasising notable implications for research and practice at the intersections of intercultural communication, social policy, and critical disability studies.

1 0

CFP: Bloomsbury Book Project - Pokémon 30th Anniversary
by Piotr Siuda 04 May '25

04 May '25

Dear Colleagues We are pleased to invite contributions to an edited volume titled “Gotta Study 'Em All: 30 Years of Pokémon,” scheduled (tentatively) for publication with Bloomsbury Academic in 2026 - the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise. The project has already received initial positive feedback from the commissioning editors at Bloomsbury. This volume seeks to explore the Pokémon franchise as a complex and enduring global media phenomenon. We welcome submissions from scholars in internet research, media and cultural studies, game studies, education, psychology, and related fields. Contributions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes: Fan cultures and participatory practices Augmented reality and Pokémon GO Education, play, and cognitive engagement Nostalgia, transmedia storytelling, and consumer loyalty Worldbuilding, aesthetics, and global adaptations Social, intergenerational, or therapeutic uses of Pokémon Comparative media franchise analysis We are currently accepting extended abstracts (800-1200 words, excluding references) for chapter proposals. Deadline for submission: June 30, 2025 Please send submissions (including abstract, proposed title, and short bio) to: pokemon30yearsbook(a)gmail.com Full Call for Papers (PDF): https://piotrsiuda.com/wp-content/uploads/CFP_Pokemon.pdf Editors: Samuli Laato (University of Turku) Elina Koskinen (Tampere University) Piotr Siuda (Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz) We warmly encourage scholars from all disciplines and regions to submit. Please feel free to circulate this CFP within your networks. Best regards, Piotr Siuda (on behalf of the editorial team) -- *Piotr Siuda* (PhD, Professor of Media Studies) piotrsiuda.com Faculty of Cultural Studies Department of Game Studies and Digital Culture Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland Associate Editor; *Journal of Creative Communication <https://journals.sagepub.com/home/crc> *(SAGE Journals) *Recent papers:* *-- **“Overdried, Without Curing? F*Ck, this [Is Supposed to be] Government Licensed Skunk!” Medical Cannabis and the Refracted Publics Within an Online Polish Drug Forum, **Sociological Inquiry*. https://doi.org/10.1111/soin.12652 -- *Self-exposure as a Way of Life. Privacy Tradeoff and Datafied Citizenship*,* Proceedings of the 58th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2025*, https://hdl.handle.net/10125/109127 -- *“Similar to Legal Companies”: Vendor Brands and Other Aspects of Marketing Communication in the Darknet Drug Trade*, *Deviant Behavior*, https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2024.2428711

1 0

19th European Conference on Software Architecture (ECSA 2025): Last Call for Tools & Demos
by Announce 04 May '25

04 May '25

*** Last Call for Tools & Demos *** 19th European Conference on Software Architecture (ECSA 2025) September 15-19, 2025, 5* St. Raphael Resort and Marina, Limassol, Cyprus https://conf.researchr.org/home/ecsa-2025 (*** Proceedings to be published by Springer in LNCS ***) The European Conference on Software Architecture (ECSA) is the premier European software architecture conference, providing researchers, practitioners, and educators with a platform to present and discuss the most recent, innovative, and significant findings and experiences in the field of software architecture research and practice. The 19th European Conference on Software Architecture (ECSA 2025) will be held from September 15 to 19, 2025. ECSA 2025 is planned as an in-person conference taking place in the beautiful city of Limassol (Cyprus). SCOPE The theme for ECSA 2025 is “impactful software architecture”. The software architecture discipline has had a critical role in shaping robust, scalable, and maintainable systems. We are interested in learning about software architecture principles and practices, emergence trends and case studies highlighting strategic architectural choices that can lead to enhanced performance, improved collaboration, and long-term sustainability. The overarching question is how these architectural principles and practices, both well-established and emerging, are making an impact in real-world systems, and how that impact is being felt across various domains, from enterprise systems to more novel areas like, e.g., AI-driven or autonomous applications? Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: • Foundational principles of software architecture • Relationship of requirements engineering and software architecture • Quality attributes and software architectures • Architecture practices for secure, explainable, and trustworthy software • Architecture design and analysis • Architecture description languages and meta-models • Architecture verification and validation • Management of architectural knowledge, decisions, and rationale • Architecture patterns, styles, and tactics; reference architectures • Architecture viewpoints and views • Architecture conformance • Software architecture virtualization and visualization • Architecture-centric process models and frameworks • Software architecture and agile, incremental, iterative, and continuous development • Component-based models and deployment; middleware • Software architecture and system architecture • Software tools and environments for architecture-centric software engineering • Ethics, cultural, economic, business, social, human, and managerial aspects of software architecture • Architecture and technical debt • Architecting for sustainable and environment friendly systems • Applying AI and LLMs in software architecture and architecting for AI and LLM intensive systems • Software architecture education • Cross-disciplinary approaches to software architecture • Architectures for reconfigurable and self-adaptive systems • Architectural concerns of autonomic systems • Software architecture applied to new and emerging areas, such as the cloud/edge, big data, blockchain, cyber-physical systems, IoT, autonomous systems, systems-of-systems, energy- aware software, quantum computing, AI-enabled systems • Empirical studies, systematic literature reviews, and mapping studies in software architecture • Diversity, equity, and inclusion in activities related to software architecture TOOLS AND DEMOS The Tools and Demonstrations (Tools & Demos) Track provides an opportunity for both researchers and practitioners to present and discuss the most recent advances, ideas, experiences, and challenges in the field of Software Architecture by means of Tools & Demos presentations. Tools & Demos papers are intended to address any aspect of: (i) tool support for software architectures, or (ii) demonstrate results about the application of architectural approaches. Papers submitted to this track can belong to two distinct categories: • Tool papers: These papers deal with the development and evaluation of tools to support software architecture. They may present new tools, extensions to existing tools, or evaluations of the effectiveness of tools. The aim is to provide a platform for the exchange of innovative tools and techniques that help design, implement and analyze software architectures. • Demo papers: These papers will demonstrate concepts, techniques or systems related to software architectures. The focus is on presenting practical applications and implementations of architectural approaches. Demo papers may include live demonstrations, prototypes or simulations that emphasize the benefits and potential of specific architecture solutions. Both Tool Papers and Demo Papers contribute to the advancement of the field by providing insights, experiences and practical solutions related to software architectures. Tools and Demos should not be used as a means for commercial advertisement. We will strive to keep ECSA’s tradition to select the Best Tools & Demo Paper, awarded during the conference. The selection of the best tool and demo paper will be made based on the votes of the attendants of the conference. Submissions of Tools & Demos papers should describe the work, how it relates to other industrial or research efforts, including references, what the expected benefits are, a video of the tool or demo (if one exists), and the web-page and/or open-source repository for the tool (if one exists). All submissions must conform to the LNCS template and must not exceed 8 pages. Tools & Demos submissions should provide a link to a video, with audio commentary, of a maximum of ten minutes in length, with high resolution (e.g., details of the tool’s functionality should be clearly visible). The video must be uploaded on a server (e.g., YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox), and the link must be included in the submission for its evaluation (as a footnote on the first page of the submission or as links after the abstract of the submission). In addition, it is possible to provide open material, e.g., source code and/or a running instance of the tool. The links to the video and (if applicable) the additional material should be included in the contribution after the abstract and before the introduction sections. Paper submissions must be made electronically via the online EasyChair submission site for the ECSA 2024 conference, selecting the “Tools & Demos Track”: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ecsa2025 . The selection criteria of Tools & Demos papers will consider their originality, relevance for the ECSA audience, technical soundness, and presentation quality. Each submission will be evaluated by at least two PC members, in a single-step review process. The accepted papers will be included in the ECSA 2025 companion volume to be published in Springer LNCS series. IMPORTANT DATES • Abstract submission: May 16, 2025 • Paper submission: May 23, 2025 • Notification: June 20, 2025 • Camera-ready paper: June 27, 2025 Early/Author registration for all accepted contributions: June 27, 2025 All dates are 23:59h AoE (Anywhere on Earth). ORGANISATION General Chairs • Cesare Pautasso, University of Lugano, Switzerland • Vasilios Andrikopoulos, University of Groeningen, The Netherlands Tools & Demos Co-Chairs • Mohamed Soliman, Heinz Nixdorf Institut, Paderborn University, Germany • Use Zdun, University of Vienna, Austria

1 0

8 May Online Lecture by Christian Baden "Propaganda as a Social Process"
by Ülker Sözen 04 May '25

04 May '25

We cordially invite you to our upcoming lecture by Christian Baden on May 8 Thursday 15:00 - 16:30 CET. You can find the zoom link and details below. You can produce a free account on the ECPR webpage to follow and register to our events and also become a member of the ECPR Research Network on Digital Authoritarianism. Create an account: https://ecpr.eu/MyEcpr/Account/Create Follow and register to events: https://ecpr.eu/Events/StandingGroups Kind regards, ECPR RN on Digital Authoritarianism Steering Committee https://ecpr.eu/group/digital-authoritarianism ---------------------------------- As part of "The Many Faces of Digital Authoritarianism" Lecture Series by the ECPR Research Network on Digital Authoritarianism "Propaganda as a Social Process: Erecting Monopolies of Truth in a High-Choice Digital Information Environment" by Assoc. Prof. Christian Baden (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Date and time: 8 May 2025, Thursday 15:00 - 16:30 CET Moderator: Dr. Ülker Sözen (University of Passau & Leipzig University) Zoom Link: https://ecpr-eu.zoom.us/j/82908062122?pwd=i5ywnOmb9tICPAKoX0hyo9jhwMxp0Z.1 Meeting ID: 829 0806 2122 Passcode: 588164 Abstract: With the weaponization of digital social media in the context of ongoing conflicts and crises, propaganda has made a forceful return onto the social-scientific research agenda. Yet, much recent work focuses narrowly on the algorithm-assisted dissemination of disinformation. In this conceptual intervention, we argue that the key to understanding contemporary propaganda is not audiences’ exposure to invalid information, but rather, how they determine which contested claims are credible and significant. Shifting focus from propaganda’s epistemic qualities toward its anti-democratic thrust, we define propaganda as a social process geared toward the construction of monopolistic truths and the delegitimization of pluralistic dissent. Drawing upon propaganda practices during Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, and the war between Israel and Hamas, we illustrate how propaganda constructs strategic identity-based narratives to predispose audiences toward selectively accepting propaganda-aligned information while discounting contravening claims. Mobilizing long-standing cultural narratives, propaganda fans perceived identity threat to incentivize supporters to voluntarily participate in the amplification of supportive claims and the active de-legitimization of dissent. Building considerable social pressure capable of dominating public discourse, propaganda cultivates resilient world views capable of withstanding the ubiquitous contradictions characteristic of high-choice digital information environments. Bio: Christian Baden is associate professor at the Department of Communication and Journalism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His work focuses on the collaborative construction and dynamic negotiation of meanings in political public discourse. Specifically, he studies processes of consensus formation and cultural resonance, contestation and the discursive processing of dissent and polarization. Christian Baden is chair of the European-wide COST network OPINION, and associate editor at the Journal of Communication.

1 0

19th European Conference on Software Architecture (ECSA 2025): Last Call for Workshop Papers
by Announce 03 May '25

03 May '25

*** Last Call for Workshop Papers *** 19th European Conference on Software Architecture (ECSA 2025) September 15-19, 2025, 5* St. Raphael Resort and Marina, Limassol, Cyprus https://conf.researchr.org/home/ecsa-2025 (*** Proceedings to be published by Springer in LNCS ***) The European Conference on Software Architecture (ECSA) is the premier European forum for presenting and discussing software architecture research and practice. ECSA edition 2025 hosts workshops on topics related to software architecture. The following workshops will be held between September 15-16, 2025: 8th International Workshop on Context-Aware, Autonomous and Smart Architectures (CASA) https://casaecsa.github.io/casa2025/ Software is becoming increasingly aware of its current execution context. Decisions that were traditionally made at design time are being postponed until runtime to improve the services that software provides to its users. In addition, software reasons about the execution environments and its internal state to improve the functionality provided to its users. Some of the keywords that characterize software today are: context-aware, dynamic, autonomous, smart, adaptive, self-managed. In this context, the Context-aware, Autonomous, and Smart Architectures (CASA) workshop aims to address the issues and challenges raised by the design, implementation, and evaluation of software systems characterized by the above keywords. Novel design and development approaches are needed to address the new issues raised by such systems. New solutions are expected to properly address the trade-offs between the various quality attributes that characterize these systems. Or, existing architectural solutions should be adapted and improved to meet the evolving and dynamic requirements of context-aware, autonomous, and intelligent systems. The workshop aims to bring together software engineers, computer scientists, researchers, practitioners, and educators to discuss and exchange results, case studies, experiences, novel approaches, and visionary ideas on software architectures for context-aware, autonomous, and smart solutions. 1st International Workshop on Architecting Digital Twin of an Organization (ArchDTO) https://archdto.github.io/archdto2025/ The Digital Twin of an Organization (DTO) extends the concept of Digital Twins to create virtual replicas of business models, processes, resources, and interactions. DTOs enable optimization of decision-making, increased efficiency, and adaptability to rapid changes by leveraging real- time data, simulations, AI, and predictive analytics. Despite their transformative potential, DTOs are still in early development, facing significant software architecture challenges such as scalability, interoperability, model robustness, and real-time data integration. This workshop explores the architectural frameworks, design patterns, and software engineering principles needed to build robust DTOs. Topics include frameworks for DTO creation, enterprise modeling methodologies, technological enablers like AI and the Internet of Things, and real-world use cases from academia and industry. Given the novelty of the topic, the workshop consists of two main sessions: (1) presentations of academic and industry papers on DTO architectures, frameworks, and technologies, and (2) an interactive workshop session, where participants will engage in problem-solving, explore case studies, and collaboratively define challenges, solutions, and best practices for architecting DTOs. 1st International Workshop on AI-Assisted Software Architecting (AISA) https://sites.google.com/view/aisasa/home?pli=1 AI-assisted software architecting is transforming how architectural decisions are made, implemented, and maintained. Leveraging artificial intelligence, this paradigm enhances architectural decision making, automates repetitive architecting tasks, and optimizes system designs. The AISA workshop aims to bring together researchers and practitioners to explore AI’s role in various software architecting activities, including architecture analysis, design, decision-making, evolution, and documentation. We will also discuss AI-driven architectural pattern recommendations, best practices, and the application of AI in continuous architecting and self-adaptive architectures. Topics include AI-assisted architecture synthesis, automated architecture pattern selection, refactoring, security enforcement, and integrating AI into DevOps and MLOps pipelines. The workshop will foster discussions and collaborations between academia and industry to identify open challenges, research directions, and practical applications 5th International Workshop on Agility with Microservices Programming (AMP) https://amp-workshops.github.io The AMP workshop aims to collect experiences on microservice adoption and reporting best practices, as well as failure cases, to build community knowledge based on past mistakes and successes. We also emphasize the current trend towards AI-driven software engineering practices and the development of data- intensive applications. The workshop seeks for solutions and experiences both on both AI-assisted tooling, and building data-intensive applications and LLMs using microservices. The workshop is open to experience reports from practitioners and academics. We seek to collect original work on the science and engineering of programming microservices. 1st International Workshop on Software Architecture for Data-Intensive Systems (SADIS) https://sadis2025.smartarch.cz Modern software systems increasingly rely on data-centric processes to fuel intelligent features, scalable services, and real-time insights. As these systems evolve, designing effective software architectures for data-intensive environments becomes critical yet challenging. These architectures must address complex concerns such as handling high-velocity data streams, ensuring security and privacy, integrating heterogeneous data sources and heterogeneous computation fabrics (including GPUs/TPUs and edge devices), and adapting to changing workloads. The workshop aims to bring together academic researchers, industry practitioners, and thought leaders to explore cutting-edge approaches for building, deploying, and maintaining robust data-centric solutions. We invite discussions on a range of topics at the intersection of data-intensive systems and software architecture, including machine learning (ML) pipelines, ML Operations (MLOps) frameworks and patterns, domain-specific languages, reference architectures, and visualization techniques. Emphasis is placed on practical experiences, innovative tools and platforms, and theoretical advancements that tackle the ever-growing demands placed on data-intensive systems. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange, the workshop seeks to shape the future of data-driven architecture design and empower professionals and researchers to address emerging challenges in this rapidly evolving domain. Workshop on Adaptive and Reconfigurable Systems and Architectures (AROSA) https://www.redcad.org/events/arosa2025/ The goal of this workshop is to bring together researchers and practitioners both from the Academia and from the Industry working in the areas of the adaptation and reconfiguration of distributed systems. Different investigation topics are involved, such as: CBSE, Web service, cloud applications, mobile applications, Functional and Non-Functional requirements (QoS, performance, resilience), monitoring, diagnosis, deci- sion and execution of adaptation and reconfiguration. Different research areas are covered: concepts, methods, techniques, and tools to design, develop, deploy and manage adaptive and reconfigurable software systems. The concept of adaptive and reconfigurable software systems has been introduced in order to describe architectures, which exhibit such properties. An adaptive and reconfigurable software system can repair itself if any execution problems occur, in order to successfully complete its own execution, while respecting functional requirements and quality attributes. In the design of an adaptive and reconfigurable software system, several aspects have to be considered. For instance, the system should be able to predict or to detect degradations and failures as soon as possible and to enact suitable recovery actions. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Please refer to the instructions at the workshops' web sites. IMPORTANT DATES • Abstract Submission: May 12, 2025 • Paper Submission: May 19, 2025 • Notification of Acceptance/Rejection: June 20, 2025 • Camera-Ready Submission: June 27, 2025 • Author Registration: June 27, 2025 • Workshop Days: September 15-16, 2025 All dates are 23:59h AoE (anywhere on Earth). ORGANISATION General Chairs • Cesare Pautasso, University of Lugano, Switzerland • Vasilios Andrikopoulos, University of Groeningen, The Netherlands Workshops Co-Chairs • Tommi Mikkonen, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland • Jennifer Perez, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain

1 0

CFP: Societal & User-Centered Privacy in AI (SUPA)
by Daricia Wilkinson 02 May '25

02 May '25

In an era of ubiquitous AI-driven technologies, privacy is no longer just a legal or technical challenge—it is a deeply human concern. This workshop invites researchers, practitioners, designers, and advocates across civil society and regulation to explore the intersection of user-centered privacy and AI, focusing on how individuals experience, negotiate, and resist privacy intrusions in an increasingly AI-mediated world. As AI systems become increasingly embedded in both public and private spaces, this workshop will examine the role of pervasive surveillance and explore privacy-aware AI solutions that are user-centric, including regulatory frameworks and best practices for privacy-conscious AI adoption. By nurturing a multidisciplinary environment, this workshop aims to create a network of scholars committed to addressing critical issues related to user-centered privacy across the design, development, and governance of AI. This workshop aims to create a network of scholars committed to addressing: - Challenges in implementing privacy measures, including issues in Usability and User Trust and interactions with AI privacy. - Empirical studies that gather attitudinal or behavioral insights related to societal and personal risks of AI systems deployed in public and private spaces, privacy expectations for AI, and privacy solutions or techniques. - Effects of emerging AI technologies (e.g., generative AI) on the privacy of at-risk, vulnerable or marginalized populations (e.g., persons with disabilities, underrepresented populations, children, or gender communities). - Privacy-aware AI frameworks for smart and ubiquitous monitoring environments. The role of AI in censorship, surveillance, and AI-driven pervasive surveillance mechanisms (e.g. facial recognition, behavioral tracking, and widespread AI-enabled monitoring in AI-connected environments) User-centric data governance frameworks in AI-augmented systems. - Case studies showcasing successful user experience (UX) strategies in privacy-preserving AI applications. Open-source tools to demonstrate the integration of privacy measures into AI models. - Best practices for UX design in choosing appropriate privacy parameters and associated trade-offs. - Ethical considerations for AI and user privacy. - Challenges and opportunities in improving and enforcing regulation that protects privacy in AI. This half-day in-person workshop solicits submissions across two categories: (1) research papers, and (2) position papers. Potential attendees are asked to submit by May 22nd 2025 via HotCRP. Papers should be at most four (4) pages in length (excluding references) and should use the SOUPS template (word or latex). Acceptance notifications will be sent by June 5th 2025. Submissions will be evaluated based on their relevance and potential to generate critical discussion. Accepted submissions will be made available on the workshop website. All participants must register and at least one author of the accepted submission must attend the workshop. Considerations can be made for remote participation. This workshop is an effort to raise critical discourse about the increasing challenges that surround AI’s integration as well as the opportunities to utilize it to reconceptualize new pathways for privacy enhancement. To maintain engagement, encourage reflection and stimulate ideas, the workshop will feature a fireside chat and community discussion, and paper presentations. Key dates: Deadline for submission: May 22nd 2025 Acceptance notifications: June 5th 2025 Workshop date: August 10th 2025 For more information about the workshop, please visit our website ( https://supa-workshop.github.io/supa.github.io/) or contact the organizers. Kind Regards, Daricia Wilkinson (sent on behalf of co-organizers) Assistant Professor Arizona State University

1 0

Invitation - Launch of the Fairwork Cloudwork Ratings 2025
by Jonas Valente 02 May '25

02 May '25

Dear AoIR community, We warmly invite you to the launch of *Fairwork Cloudwork Ratings 2025* on *20 May at 2 PM BST*. The report is part of the Fairwork Cloudwork Project <https://fair.work/en/ratings/cloudwork/>. This latest edition of our flagship cloudwork report evaluates 16 digital labour platforms, assessing them against five principles of fair work: pay, conditions, contracts, management, and representation. The report highlights both progress and persistent gaps in how platforms treat the global, often invisible workforce powering the digital economy. Despite powering AI and online content and services, many cloudworkers remain underpaid, precariously employed, and excluded from basic rights. This launch will feature key findings, examples of worker voice and resistance, and discussions on the future of fairness in digital platform work. *Register here:* https://wzb-eu.zoom.us/meeting/register/KBoGM1fUS6K8yU8H1hyHNQ We would be delighted to have you join us. Best wishes, Jonas Valente and the Fairwork Cloudwork team

1 0

Reminder: CfP - Out of Order? Critical Reflections on Big Tech, Inequalities and Digital Futures
by Harrison Smith 02 May '25

02 May '25

Hi everyone, A quick reminder that the deadline is soon approaching for the following CfP and we are still welcoming submissions! Please submit your abstract by May 10th. Out of Order? Critical Reflections on Big Tech, Inequalities and Digital Futures 2025 Research Symposium, The University of Sheffield, UK Organized by the Digital Society Network and the Department of Sociological Studies’ Social Inequalities and Social Ordering Research Theme June 27th, 2025. Times and location, TBA. Abstract submission deadline: May 10th. The increasing consolidation of wealth and power in the tech sector has become a focal point for reflecting on social ordering, the intensification of social inequalities, and understanding digital futures. It is now impossible to ignore Big Tech. For many, we are now confronted with a feeling of apprehension about how the world is being re-ordered and what kind of future we are entering. From algorithms, data centers, and AI platforms that shape our everyday lives to powerful elites working to dismantle government infrastructure and automate work under the auspices of ushering in a new era of AI-fueled efficiency, there is now a larger apprehension that the future is volatile, chaotic, falling apart, and out of order. This symposium aims to bring together researchers of any career stage interested in Big Tech. We aim to create an interdisciplinary space to critically reflect on Big Tech, share ongoing research endeavours, develop collaborative research programmes, and discuss ways in which we can intervene in a world out of order. We welcome submissions addressing any topic that pertains to the social, political, economic, and cultural implications of Big Tech and social ordering. Submissions can include (but not limited to): theoretical reflections, empirical research, policy/impact projects, and creative/artistic projects. If you would like to contribute a presentation at this symposium, please email a short title, abstract and bio to the SISO research theme co-leaders, Harrison Smith (harrison.smith(a)sheffield.ac.uk) and/or Laura Connelly (l.connelly(a)sheffield.ac.uk) by May 10th. Please note that this will be an in-person event, and attendance will be limited to presenters. There are no attendance fees. -- *Dr Harrison Smith - **Lecturer in Digital Media and Society* *Programme Lead - BA Digital Media & Society* Department of Sociological Studies Office: The Wave, C454 The University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TU

1 0

Three Fully-funded Interdisciplinary PhD Positions on Governance by Data Infrastructure (University of Amsterdam)
by Stefania Milan 02 May '25

02 May '25

Dear all, The University of Amsterdam's Department of Media Studies invites applications for three fully funded PhD positions within an interdisciplinary research project led by Professor Stefania Milan and funded by the European Research Council. You will join a team of six researchers working at the intersection of the social sciences, humanities, and critical informatics. Each PhD project focuses on one of four domains: biometric technologies, digital identity systems, health technologies, or education technologies. You will carry out independent research, contribute to the development of innovative participatory methods, and critically engage with contemporary societal challenges. Core activities include qualitative fieldwork, policy analysis, participation in research seminars, and close collaboration in a dynamic academic environment. The deadline for applications is May 31, 2025; interviews will take place in the last week of June, for a start date in fall 2025. Follow this link [0] for more info and to submit your application. Note that two postdoctoral positions will be available shortly. Best regards, Stefania Milan Professor of Critical Data Studies, University of Amsterdam [0] https://werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies/three-fully-funded-interdisciplinary-…

1 0

Call for abstracts: Digital Decolonisation and Digital Justice
by Karen Frost-Arnold 02 May '25

02 May '25

The African Centre for Epistemology of Philosophy of Science (ACEPS) at the University of Johannesburg invites abstract submissions for: DIGITAL DECOLONISATION AND DIGITAL JUSTICE 13 and 14 August 2025 Digital technologies are deeply embedded in how we produce and share knowledge. At the same time, our digital infrastructure for sharing knowledge is largely designed and maintained by tech companies in the Global North that pursue profit by exploiting citizens and communities in the Global South. For example, social media companies profit from hate speech that inflames ethnic cleansing. Tech companies exploit the labour of workers from the Global South to train algorithms. AI has significant environmental costs, which are disproportionately borne by the Global South. And citizens of the Global South are often cut off from the benefits of digital technologies. Technologies are often designed without their interests, languages, cultures, or material circumstances in mind. Digital Decolonisation and Digital Justice is a two-day, interdisciplinary conference investigating decolonisation of the digital technologies that shape contemporary knowledge and exploring what reparations for digital harms might involve. The hybrid conference will be held online and in person at the ACEPS in 2025. This conference aims to investigate the following questions, among others: • How do social media platforms and big tech corporations perpetuate digital colonisation? • What is the nature and scope of the harms caused by big tech? • When and why must tech companies be held accountable for harms, and what are the right mechanisms for doing so? This conference aims to bring together scholars from philosophy, science and technology studies (STS), media studies, information science, communications, data science, computer science, political science, and other fields working on decolonisation and technology. Taking decolonisation as more than a mere metaphor, ACEPS aims to encourage submissions from scholars from Africa and the broader Global South with the aim of building networks of collaboration. Topics that will be included in the call for papers for researchers to consider may include, but are not limited to: · Epistemic decolonisation and technology · Decolonising the internet · Alternative, postcolonial technologies · Indigenous knowledge and AI · Democracy and AI · Climate justice and AI · Digital harms and technological epistemic injustice · Justice for digital harms · Resistance and refusal theory Abstract length: 500 words Submission deadline: 1 June 2025 Notification of acceptance: 15 June 2025 Email abstracts & queries: pbenton(a)uj.ac.za Organisers: Paige Benton, Karen Frost-Arnold, Veli Mitova. Funding: This conference is part of the grant project Safeguarding Justice & Democracy in the Age of AI. Funding is provided by the University of Johannesburg Global Excellence and Stature. Accepted speakers will be responsible for their own visa, travel, and accommodation. However, funding is available to cover accommodation for students from developing countries. If you fall into this category, please indicate this in the body of your email when submitting.

1 0