Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, And Other Threats Of Toxic Tech

Description

Buying groceries, tracking our health, finding a date: whatever we want to do, odds are that we can now do it online. But few of us ask how all these digital products are designed or why. It's time we changed that. Many of the services we rely on are full of oversights, biases and downright ethical nightmares. Chatbots that harass women. Sign-up forms that fail anyone who's not straight. Social media sites that send messages about dead relatives. Algorithms that put more black people behind bars. Technically Wrong takes an unflinching look at the values, processes and assumptions that lead to these problems and more. Wachter-Boettcher demystifies the tech industry, leaving those of us on the other side of the screen better prepared to make informed choices about the services we use-and demand more from the companies behind them.

Author description

Sara Wachter-Boettcher is a web consultant based in Philadelphia and the author of two books for web professionals: Design for Real Life, with Eric Meyer, and Content Everywhere. She helps organizations make sense of their digital content, and she speaks at conferences worldwide.