Needle In The Hashtag - eSafety Hackathon

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Hackathon: “Needle in the Hashtag”

No tech background? No worries.
Across one high-energy weekend, we’ll play inside a safe, pretend social network (no real people, they're all AI's) and learn how to spot early warning signs; things like bullying, toxic “incel” talk, harmful body-image chats, and misleading posts. Then we’ll turn those findings into simple ways to help people.

This is not a talk-fest. You’ll make something real with friendly coaches by your side. Come solo or with friends. Everyone’s welcome.

Why join

• Do good, for real: Stand with the UN’s 16 Days of Activism and help make online spaces kinder and safer.

• Safe playground: Explore a fully fake platform so you can test freely, without risking anyone’s privacy.

• Clear problems to solve: Spot hoaxes, hate, and harm - and design ways to respond.

• Learn by doing: We’ll guide you step-by-step. No code required (unless you want to!).

• Show your work: Demo to judges who care about useful, people-first ideas.

What you’ll build (choose one or mix & match)

• Spot the signals: Simple checklists or basic rules that flag early risk (e.g., “this post might need a second look”).

• Help flows that actually help: Friendly screens and buttons that guide someone to support - not a dead end.

• Fairness tools: Ways to double-check your idea is clear, kind, and not accidentally harmful.

• Good house rules: Common-sense ideas for slowing abuse (e.g., time-outs, age-checks) without blocking good users.

(If you’re curious about data or code, mentors can show you more - but it’s optional.)

Who should attend

• Builders: yes, devs and data folks - bring your laptops!

• Designers & product people: UX, content, research - your superpower is clarity.

• Community & care pros: teachers, youth workers, psychologists, moderators, lived-experience voices.

• Students & first-timers: total beginners welcome - we’ll pair you with a team and give you starter kits. You might even get an internship or job at an AI startup!

What you get

• Practice space: Curated, make-believe data and simple tools to try ideas safely.

• Support crew: Mentors from safety, policy, community, and lived-experience backgrounds.

• Goodies: Access to useful tools/credits to build your project.

• Spotlight: Prizes and post-event showcases for standout teams.

Ready?

Tickets are limited. Bring a team or join one on the day.
Come curious. Leave proud - with something that makes feeds safer.

Connect with the MLAI Team: Xavier Andueza, Michael Reitzenstein, Lukas Wesemann, Pegah Khalegi, Ethan Lee, Jasmine Raj, Dr Sam Donegan (SupportSorted),