Needle In The Hashtag - eSafety Hackathon
Event description
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.
How we work (our values)
Survivor-first: Respectful, non-stigmatising language—always.
Honest about mistakes: We track what our ideas catch and what they miss, and we aim to reduce harm.
Privacy by default: No real-world scraping, no doxxing, no creepin’.
Humans in the loop: People make the final call; tech just helps.
Ready?
Tickets are limited. Bring a team or join one on the day.
Come curious. Leave proud - with something that makes feeds safer.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
