Upturn

Upturn advances equity and justice in the design, governance, and use of technology.

We believe technology should advance justice, not amplify racial, economic, and social inequities. Without focused attention, technology can reinforce systemic injustices found everywhere in our society.

We drive policy changes by combining rigorous research with deliberate advocacy. Our approach to technology and justice is informed by a broad range of perspectives and experiences, including computer science, social science, law, and policy. We strive to ground our work in community and lived experiences.

We partner with a strong and growing network of local and national advocates, litigators, organizers, academics, and policymakers to ensure that our work together is grounded, collaborative, and actionable.

Some of our recent work includes:

• Investigating how large hourly employers use technology to screen candidates for low-wage jobs;
• Pressuring Facebook to address discrimination in online ads for housing, credit, and employment;
• Advocating with local partners for the sealing of eviction records to prevent their use in tenant screening software;
• Advising legal aid groups challenging technologies used in public benefits determinations;
• Documenting the dangerous expansion of U.S. law enforcement agencies’ capabilities to search people’s mobile phones using forensic tools; and
• Persuading Google to ban online payday loan ads, together with financial justice advocates.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC. Learn more about Upturn on our website: https://www.upturn.org.